Leaning Into It
by writable
Summary: Speak up, when you can. It doesn't always hurt. Sometimes, it feels pretty good.
1. A Drink

**Hello! So, I think I'm finally getting the hang of this, and I finally decided to write good ol' B/B fluff. I find it rather satisfying, but I may be a little biased. ;) I kind of just started this spontaneously, so I'm praying you like it. I'm considering making this a multi-chapter fic, but I'm not really sure. Tell me if it's just one shot worthy. Reviews are more than welcome, in fact, they're begged for. Just press that shiny green button! **

Sometimes there are simply no way to say things. There are always unwritten, unspoken messages that people harbor. Surely, they'd like to convey them _somehow_, but whatever the reason-- fear, inappropriate timing, anger-- there's always a reason. It can take minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years to come out with it, and sometimes it simply never does. Other times, it just gets lost in translation.

Speak up, when you can. It doesn't always hurt. Sometimes, it feels pretty good.

---

Seeley Booth stood in front of his partner's apartment, a rose in his hand. He had waited far too long to tell her what she meant to him. He couldn't help but laugh at himself for how cliche this was. Standing in front of a lover's door, leaning in for a kiss when it opened-- wasn't this in some Jane Austen novel? He smirked before raising his hand to the hard wood.

"Coming."

Footsteps pattered on the tile of Brennan's apartment, footsteps obviously not attributed to the naked foot. The noises were sharp, high heels. _Was she going out? Was this the wrong time?_

Booth hid the rose behind his back, twirling it with his thumb and index finger. The door opened suddenly, and he was hardly prepared to face his partner, his muse.

"Booth?"

"Uh."

He stood awkwardly, eyeing her from head to toe. She was beautiful. Her brown locks were curled heavily, falling just below her collarbone, and her eyes stood out from beneath thin black outlines. She wore a body-clinging red dress, and her foot tapped impatiently in-- he was right-- red high heels. Bones held diamond earrings in her hand. One was evidently in her ear, shining beneath the recessed lighting of the apartment building's hallway, and the other was between her fingers. They fumbled, trying to get them to dangle the correct way. Her fingers stopped as she let her hands drop by her side.

"Booth? Are you alright?"

He averted his mesmerized gaze, blinking a few times to get himself back into reality.

"Uh, yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I just-- a-are you busy?"

Bones' eyebrows furrowed, revealing the one prominent wrinkle that was always a tell tale sign she was concerned with something.

"I was on my way to a party my publisher arranged; to celebrate the success of my book," she replied, "It's been number one on the New York Times' bestseller list for quite some time."

Booth found his partner's lack of modesty rather endearing.

"Oh, uh, okay," he found himself mumbling, "I'll just, um, come back later. Go-- go to your party."

He tried to hide his disappointment, stretching his lips into his best fake grin.

Bones maintained her expression of confusion.

"No, Booth, to tell you the truth, I didn't really want to attend. It's not really a big deal. Or I would've invited you."

She looked up to meet his gaze, and found him smiling back at her in pride.

"And Angela, I mean. And Cam. And Hodgins, and Sweets, and--"

"Yeah, I get it."

There was an awkward silence.

"Oh!" Bones exclaimed, "Come in." Booth grinned as he walked inside, shutting the door behind him.

"Thanks."

Bones nodded.

"So, did you need to tell me anything?" Bones asked, her gaze obviously resting on the flower he held in his hand. He had revealed it when he closed the door. Grimacing, he wished he had never brought it. It made him feel stupid.

"Uh, yeah," Booth replied, holding out the flower to her, "I, uh. I brought this for you."

Bones smiled briefly, accepting the odd gift with her hand.

"I try not to indulge in romance's whim, especially accepting flowers, for I find them awfully temporary and a waste of income, but, this is..." She hesitated, trying to find the perfect word to explain her emotions.

"This is sweet, Booth."

She leaned the flower upright against some picture frames she had on the table near the entrance of her apartment, knowing full well she owned no vases. Flowers were tacky, but she didn't mind when Booth gave them to her.

Booth nodded his head, his chest puffing outwards.

Bones bit her lip. There was this awful tension between the two of them, although she and her lack of social knowledge could not exactly determine what would mend it. She began tapping her heel again, not in impatience, but simply because she needed something to fill the deafening silence.

"Would you like a drink?" She asked politely, walking over towards her liquor cabinet. "I have quite a selection. Here's a Pinot Grigio, organic red Italian wine, French champagne, whiskey, Bordeaux--"

"I love you, Bones."

She turned around.

"I don't have that kind, Booth." She squinted at him, trying to understand what he meant. Surely he didn't really mean...

"No, I love you, Bones," he continued, "I really do. I came here to tell you that. I've known for a while, for a few years at least. I love that you're smart, Bones. I love that you're independent. I love that you have absolutely no idea what MTV is. I love that Parker likes you, and that you like Parker, and I love the way you set your lab passwords to your favorite flowers, and I know that roses aren't your favorite flower, but I thought it would be rather chivalrous to bring you one, so I did, but you--"

She cut him off, walking towards him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Booth."

She tried to meet his gaze, but it was too intense, too real. Her eyes darted between his and the floor.

"Booth, I'm not good at this. I never have been." She reached for his hand, and their fingers intertwined.

"_This_ scares me." She raised their mingled hands. "I don't know if I can do this."

He took a deep breath.

"But do you want to?"

She nodded.

"Then try."

She bit her lip, not allowing herself to be fully overcome by him, but it was too difficult. She _did_ want this to some extent. She had wanted it for five years. Everything that had happened between them made their relationship strong. If nothing else, it was excellent foundation. She knew she could try-- for him...for them.

She leaned in, ready for the next step. He hesitated.

"Bones, if you're not ready..."

"I'm ready."

She sounded firm and definitive, but he wasn't sure.

"Bones." His tone was warning now.

She leaned in further, trying to close the gap that Booth was so desperately trying to maintain. Her lips crashed onto his, five years of longing coming together in sparks. It was gentle, slow, but it was frantic, as if there weren't enough minutes in the day for the two of them. He eased into it, surprised that Bones had made the first move. His hands found her hips, and hers found his neck. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, trying to get as close to him as she could physically be. The heat between them was immense, but everything felt natural, right. Her lips against his felt like they had been doing this forever, and that they could continue for eternity.

The moment ended, as all do, and both released their lips from the embrace, though not their grasps on one another. He held her just as tightly as she held him. There was some sense of peace that they shared, of definitiveness, of confirming what was arguably always there. Bones stared into Booth's eyes, and found herself swimming in her thoughts. It was all a blur, a terrifying, numbing blur, but she liked it.

"So where does this leave us?" Booth asked, reluctantly releasing his grip on her waist. Her warmth dissipated as his arms left her.

Quickly, she walked to the door, turning the lock. She walked back over to him, grabbing his hands, putting them back on her waist.

"I'd say this leaves us right here."

She leaned in again, but this time, he did too.

**Please, please, please review! One shot, or multi-chapter? Thank you for reading!**


	2. In Minds and Arms

**Thank you for the reviews, and as you all have said, I'm going to make this a multi-chapter story. Writing B/B fluff is actually rather fun. With every other category I've written for, I've been careful to maintain that tension between them, so it was nice to let go with these two. **

Brennan awoke in her bed, although she couldn't recall how she got there. Or rather, why she was alone.

She sat up abruptly, searching for Booth, who she thought--hoped, even-- would be next to her, only to find empty white sheets. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling lonely for the first time in a while.

Stretching out her limbs, she put her feet on the floor, ready for another day. This one would be different, she could already feel it, but whether that was a good or bad thing, she wasn't sure.

There was a sudden noise from the living room, and she tensed. Half of her wanted to search for a weapon to attack the trespasser, and yet the other half already knew who it was. She felt her heart start to beat a little faster as she stood. Walking out of her bedroom, she could already make out the lump that was sleeping on her sofa. Booth snored in the most contradictory way-- obnoxious, but utterly adorable. His shoes were still on, but his suit jacket was slung messily on the coffee table. She saw the bottle of wine next to it, and realized why she remembered nothing from the night before.

Bones tiptoed towards Booth, not wanting to wake him, and hovered over the edge of the sofa, right above his head. He had the most content look on his face, and she didn't want to wake him, but his back would begin to hurt. The sooner he was off the couch, the better.

"Booth?"

"Five more minutes, mom."

Bones stared quizzically at her partner.

"I am _not_ your mother, Booth." She looked almost offended.

"What?"

Booth's eyes begin to open, and a smile appeared on his face. "Oh, Bones."

He sat up, rubbing his eyes, and tilting his neck side to side to crack his joints. He patted the spot of the sofa that was next to him.

"You know that can be bad for you, right?" Bones asked, as she took a seat, "Hypermobile joints cause your muscles to tighten, and when you tilt your neck like that you relax your muscle briefly, but also loosen those joints."

She stared at him with her most serious expression.

"It's a vicious cycle."

Booth laughed at her, placing a hand self-consciously on his neck.

"I don't know why you find that funny, Booth. It's an extraordinarily common problem that medication cannot always fix."

He leaned in towards her, his eyes still drooping with fatigue, and kissed her cheek. She smiled.

"Besides, I love that neck. I wouldn't want anything to happen to it."

She put her hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. He bent his neck so that his cheek rested on the back of her hand.

"Booth?"

"Mm?"

"Why did you sleep on the couch?"

He blinked a few times before answering.

"I don't want to move too fast."

She nodded thoughtfully.

"So then, last night...we didn't..."

"No."

"Oh."

Bones' expression looked sad, and Booth lifted his head in concern.

"Why do you ask?"

She bit her lip, suddenly becoming nervous.

"I just- it's not because you don't want to, right? Because I'm rather capable, and I--"

"No, Bones, it's nothing like that," Booth replied, grinning, "Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but I like to take things slow. But Bones..." He took her hand in his, "You know I'm really happy about this, right? I'm really glad we're, you know, we're..."

"An 'us'?"

Booth nodded as Bones smiled.

"I know. Would you like some breakfast?"

Booth grinned.

"I'd love some."

....

Two showers and four pancakes later, the duo sat on Bones' bar stools. Everything was so different, yet unmistakeably the same. There were a few more awkward pauses than usual, the need to have an enjoyable conversation rather than a mindless one in order to impress each other, and quite a few more longing gazes and resulting blushes. A stray hand occasionally found a lonely thigh, and their lips met every once in a while.

"What do we tell everyone?" Bones blurted out, tapping her plate with her fork absent-mindedly.

Booth looked up, surprised.

"I...I guess we could...I don't know."

Bones scrunched her nose up, trying to come up with a solution. They could just tell everyone, but was them knowing the smartest thing? Did they already know? If they hid it, would they find out?

"I think we should tell them," she finally decided, placing her fork on her plate definitively, "If they _find out, _it's going to get messy. Not literally, of course, but I mean things will get rather confusing, and I don't want any feelings to get hurt in the process."

"Angela, you mean?"

"Yeah."

Booth hesitated.

"I don't know if we should tell everyone just yet. When Cam and I..."

Bones looked up possessively.

"Down, kitty," Booth joked. Bones looked at him quizzically.

"Oh, haha," she replied, chuckling, "You're calling me a kitty because cats tend to be feisty and moody and that's the way I behaved when you spoke of your past relationship with Cam. Ha. That's rather funny, Booth."

He shook his head, grinning.

"I try!"

Their grins faded as Booth continued.

"When Cam and I were together, we let our personal relationship get in the way of our work one," he explained, "It's why Cam ignored protocol and cut into that skull during the Epps case. It's why she was in the hospital...I- I can't let that happen again, Bones. To anyone, but especially to you."

Bones put her hand on his thigh.

"I understand, Booth, but I have to tell Ange."

Booth smiled.

"She probably knows already, anyways," he replied, standing up. He walked his dishes over to the sink. She followed, and as she turned around to get back to her seat, he grabbed her from around the waist. She chuckled as she let him hold her. Being in his arms gave her the best feeling, and she didn't want it to end. Normally being restrained triggered immediate karate moves that were ingrained in her mind, but this-- this, she was okay with.

He kissed the top of her head, and she turned around in his grip. Bones stood on the tips of her toes to kiss him on his willing lips, and her arms wrapped around his neck instinctively. Their embrace was slower this time, much slower than it was last night, and she pressed herself against his chest. It had to be her favorite part of his body. She felt so small in his arms, so safe, so secure. She always knew that whenever she was with him, she'd be safe. And she knew as long as she lived, she'd protect him. Everyone else had always been temporary. Booth was someone that she could imagine a future with.

His lips left her in a desperate need of breath, and she brought her head down to rest on his chest. Her cheek pressed into him and she closed her eyes, moving her arms from around his neck to his torso.

"You make me want to stay like this forever," she mumbled. In her mind she knew that forever didn't exist, and that any moment something could happen that would stop tomorrow from coming, but she dared to dream of a science-defying world in his arms.

**Thank you for reading, don't forget to review! (:**


	3. Squishing Squinty Egos

**Writing this story is so entertaining, I can't believe I didn't do it sooner. Booth and Bones are seriously one of the few T.V. couples whose writers have managed to make them absolutely perfect. There's House and Cuddy, Castle and Beckett, yadda yadda, but it doesn't get better than good ol' Booth and Bones! **

"Yes, I know. I _know, _I'm sorry. Sure. When? _Tonight?_ Why not next- fine. Okay. See you there."

Bones put her phone back down on the receiver angrily, stomping towards her sofa, taking a seat next to Booth.

"That was my publisher," she explained, "They got _Andrea_ to lecture me. She's the worst."

"Is she angry you played hooky?"

"I don't know what that means, Booth."

"It's when- nevermind. Is she angry that you didn't go to that party last night?" he repeated, speaking slowly as to ensure the correct words escaped his mouth.

"Furious."

"Sorry about that."

"No, Booth, don't be _sorry." _Bones ran her hand down his cheek. "I would've chosen what happened yesterday over that party any day," she replied, grinning. Booth grinned back.

"But apparently there were a few people who had paid a lot to attend," she continued, "and since I wasn't there last night, Andrea wants to arrange a second one...tonight." She rolled her eyes. "They're such a bunch of stoffs."

"Stiffs, Bones."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Anyways. Do you want to go with me?"

Booth looked surprised.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure, Booth," Bones replied, "If I wasn't, I wouldn't have asked you." She punched his shoulder playfully.

"Well, yeah, Bones, I'm flattered. I'd love to go with you."

"Great," Bones replied, smiling, "I imagine you'll have to go back to your place to get ready?" She eyed his suit vest that had unmistakable smudges of pancake syrup on it. Booth looked down sheepishly.

"Yeah."

Bones chuckled.

"It's at eight. Would you like me to pick you up?"

Booth shook his head.

"I'll come get you, say, seven fifteen?"

"Sure."

She kissed him, and patted his back as she led him to the door. The lingered in the doorway, touching, embracing, and Bones had to stifle a laugh as she spotted the rose Booth had gotten her the night before, still leaning comfortably against a photo of her and Russ when they were younger. He caught her looking at it.

"Didn't you like it?" 

"I _loved _it, Booth," she replied as she kissed him one last time, squeezing his shoulders as she playfully shoved him out the door. He stepped out, turned back towards her, leaning against the door frame as he looked into her eyes.

"Booth, if you don't let me get ready, I'm going to have to get a restraining order against you."

Booth laughed and tipped himself forward suddenly, trying to kiss her again. She let him. There was some magnetism she had that captured him. Never had he found it so hard to leave someone, even it was only for a few hours. In that instant, he wanted to stay with her for an eternity, just talking, dining, loving. He tried desperately not to be clingy, but he really did love her.

"Can I come back in now?" Booth joked.

"Bye, Booth," replied Bones as she closed the door in his face.

"SEVEN FIFTEEN!" she heard him yell.

"DONE!" she yelled back.

_Man_, she loved that guy.

At six forty three, Brennan heard a knock on her door. Hastily turning off her shower and wrapping herself in her robe, she walked towards it, perhaps just a little too eagerly. Pulling it open, she saw Booth's figure.

"Booth, you're early," she said in an unhappy tone, "I had to cut my shower short." She furrowed her eyebrows in slight irritation.

"Well, you could've stayed in the shower, and let whoever was outside wait," he pointed out knowingly. It made him feel better that she wanted him just as much as he craved her. Bones blushed.

Suddenly the two were frenzied lovers with nothing holding them back. Bones' hands roamed across Booth's chest, pounding and pressing. Their tongues danced, fighting for control, and Booth's hands squeezed her waist, occasionally resting them on her hips. Her nails dug into his back, and sporadically each would elicit a squeal. Their hearts thudded in excitement. Booth bent down, scooping her up with one hand beneath her knees, the other on her back, and lifted her towards the couch. He placed her on it, hovering on top of her. Their kissing continued, more frantic and needing each second until a phone call interrupted their passion.

Booth groaned.

"Was that mine or yours?" he asked, running a frustrated hand through his hair.

"Mine," Bones replied as she flipped open her cell.

"Hello? Oh, Andrea. Seven thirty now? Fine. Thanks for calling. Bye."

She put down the phone and stood up, evidently on her way back to her room.

"The party's been moved a little earlier," Bones began, "We have to leave in a couple minutes. I'll be right out."

She raced to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. How did that just happen? What happened to taking it slow? Not that she didn't _thoroughly _enjoy herself, but was she ready? Was _he_ ready?

Savoring the few minutes of solitude she had, she quickly blow dried her hair, opting for looser curls than she had worn last night. Her red dress seemed too special to wear to such an event, considering what had happened when she last had it on, so she picked out a dark blue one from her closet. It had a high waisted belt, and she had the perfect black pumps to match.

Walking out the door, fully primped, and a little nervous, she did a twirl.

"How do I look?"

Booth stared in awe.

"You look...you look beautiful, Bones."

She stood, smiling for a moment, before rushing to the counter to grab her purse.

"We're late, Booth, let's go. Your car, or mine?"

He raised his eyebrows.

"Wouldn't you like to roll into that party in a big, black, bulletproof, tinted-window, detachable siren SUV?" he asked, "You know, raise some eyebrows, squish some squinty egos?"

She stared at him.

"Mine, Bones."

"Okay."

She quickly turned the lights off in her apartment and met him at the door. He extended his arm.

"Shall we?"

She took it, grinning.

"We shall."

**Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review, yep yep. ;)**


	4. A Bunch of Stiffs

**Hello, hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you so much for the positive reviews! I was kind of worried that I was getting too cheese-tastic, but whatever. :D I'm going to try my best from here on out to keep Bones very in character, 'cause I feel like I'm failing at that. Also, I'd like to point out that there's a movie reference later on this chapter that would be physically impossible for Bones to have seen, given its release date, but please just ignore that fact. You're here for the B/B fluff, right, not the theatrical details? By the way, can I just point out, Fox is crazy with all the hiatuses. I thrive off of Thursdays. Fox sure knows how to let a girl down. :(**

"I see what you mean."

Booth whispered into his partner's ear, eyeing the various eighty year olds sitting at the hall's tables. He sat next to Bones at a VIP section. Almost everyone that had attended yesterday also showed up today for an encore. Bones felt a little guilty that she had let everyone down, but what she had received in return was far, _far _more worthy.

"I told you they were a bunch of stoffs."

"Stiffs, Bones, _stiffs_."

She waved her hand.

"Whatever."

A pale hand tapped Bones on the back as she began on her salad.

"Dr. Brennan? It's time for your speech."

Bones looked at Andrea in confusion.

"I don't have one prepared," she replied, rather loudly, "You all told me that this was nothing more than a glorified book signing." Eyes began to turn towards the bickering women.

"Shhh!" Andrea exclaimed, wagging her finger in an almost contemptibly maternal manner. Bones' eyes widened at the sudden superiority being thrust upon her.

"We need you to do this speech," she continued, her tone turning into somewhat more of a pleading, "These people...they paid a _lot _of money to get here, to be sitting next to you, the least you could do is give them a few of your words." She tilted her head, jutting out her bottom lip just a bit. Her previous maternal demeanor turned utterly childish.

"Fine," Bones agreed, "But next time, you tell me when I have to present a speech, or I'll just play hooky again."

She winked at Booth, who brought his hand to his forehead. Andrea raised her eyebrows as Bones walked over to the stage.

"Ahem. Hello everyone," she began, immediately changing to her 'presenter' voice. It was stronger, more confident, although she didn't feel that way inside. Booth watched from the table in admiration. This was just one of the things he loved about the woman. She could do anything.

"I'd like to thank you for attending tonight. I apologize for my absence yesterday. I ran into a bit of a...confrontation, if you will." She looked towards Booth, who grinned knowingly.

"If it weren't for you all," she continued, "My book wouldn't have reached the great success that it has, and for that, to you, I'm indebted. It's been a long journey, writing this thing." She held up a copy of her novel. "Many events in this novel are based on my own experiences as well as I few that I've yet to encounter. Things that happen in my life are the best inspiration one could receive. There's always something unexpected, but delightful, out there. It's something that perhaps was always there, just never noticed by you, or maybe it's something new completely. Whatever it is, look beyond what you see, and there will be a story. Perhaps it won't be as successful as mine," she grinned, unaware of the social elevation she was placing on herself, "but it will be rewarding. I hope you have as enjoyable a time discovering these stories as you do tonight. Thank you." She bowed her head, and walked down the stairs of the stage, back towards her seat. Booth clapped, as did everyone in the hall. She smiled the whole way towards her chair, proud of herself, happy to be back where she was most comfortable.

"That was a great speech, Bones," Booth complimented, patting her nonchalantly on her back. He had managed, however difficult it was, to restrain himself from being more than her partner. Their angsty gazes has been significantly reduced, and their postures were stiff, tense. Was this how work was going to be?

"Thanks," she replied, getting back to her salad.

Long hours passed, as Bones knew they would, and it was finally time to go. The party had been just about as boring as she had predicted, the only highlight being that she was accompanied by someone she really did care about. She couldn't imagine a five hour event like that by herself. It would be horrific.

Booth had her, she knew that deep down. Beside him, she was at ease, and it confirmed her feeling that this was right.

The ride back to Bones' apartment was long, from the fatigue that the two of them were trying to hide. Both had stifled quite a few yawns, although sometimes one or two escaped their lips, determined to find a way out. They laughed at each other when one succumbed to sleep's warning sign.

Soon enough they were in Bones' doorway, the same place that so many miraculous events had seemingly occurred. Booth didn't want to leave, but he was exhausted. A good night's sleep, and he was sure he'd be back.

"I think I'm going to take off, Bones," he said, stretching his arms, "I'm pretty tired." He ran his fingers through his hair, his hand finding its resting spot on the back of his neck.

"Okay," Bones replied, a little saddened.

He gave her a final kiss for the night, and began to leave. But Bones wouldn't have it.

"Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you stay?"

In an instant he was back, beaming. She didn't know how good she made him feel inside. He had this primal need to be needed, and she satiated it. Perhaps that was a bit of why he gravitated towards her. God, she was turning him into a different person. He was _Booth_, that free spirit, happy to just be alive, sad for those that weren't as content as he. And now he was changing. He had what he wanted-- her, and she wanted him to, but if she ever were to change his mind, he'd shatter. Never had he thought he'd be the fragile one. It was an unprecedented feeling-- danger, satisfaction. He loved it and feared it at the same time.

He wrapped his arms around her, a gesture that seemed to rear its head so often now, and instinctively, she wrapped her own around his torso. He didn't know it, but she was changing too. Her scientific drone was slowly being replaced with a much more intuitive type of communication. She spoke of her feelings, of her hopes, of her fears. It was far more rewarding that talking about science. That fact scared her and thrilled her at the same time. He was bringing her out of the walls of rationality that for so long she had hidden behind. It was this immense catharsis, and for that she was grateful. Everything seemed too right. Things always seem that way before they come crashing down. But maybe things would plateau for a while. Bones prayed they would.

She felt a surge of spontaneity, and grabbed his hand, leading him towards her bedroom. She pointed to the bed, and on it sat a very confused Booth. She walked to her closet, and knelt, shuffling through random belongings until she found a white cord. Pulling it gently from amongst her possessions, Bones stood, a miniature white television in her hands. She placed it on the dresser near the foot of her bed, and pulled out a videotape from the first drawer.

Shortly after she pushed it into the old fashioned video slot, a flicker of _The Princess Bride_ began to show on the screen. Booth looked utterly puzzled. Bones took a seat next to him.

"Any time something good happens in my life, I watch this movie," she explained, "My mother used to show it to me when I was younger, and I thought it was the cutest movie. It's completely irrational, and you'd think with my income I could at least invest in a nice flat screen to mount on one of my walls, but it makes me feel good. It makes every decision I've made justified."

Booth stared at her.

"It's stupid, isn't it?" she asked, leaning forward to unplug the T.V. She felt a sudden rush of blood finding its way to her cheeks. This wasn't a good idea. She had tried to show Booth a glimpse into her uninhibited life and all she had done was made an idiot of herself.

As she knelt near the outlet, Booth grabbed her arm.

"Bones."

She continued to unplug the television, wrapping the cord neatly around its perimeter as she tried to shrug her arm away from his grip.

"_Bones._"

She looked up this time, still flushed with mortification.

"Come here."

He pulled her onto the bed from the floor, the tip of the cord still held firmly in her hands.

"I think that's pretty cool, Bones. I can't tell you that I know what it's like, losing your mother, but I'm glad you told me this."

She smiled briefly, still unsure.

"Booth, I told you this before. I don't know if I'm ready. I don't want to disappoint you. I'm not used to doing anything other than perfect work, and this-- I can't do _this _perfectly. It's hard for me, and that's what scares me."

Booth's face fell just a little, though he tried to hide his disappointment.

"Do you not want this?"

He was prepared. He would shatter, but at least it was early on. He suddenly found it a little hard to breathe. It scared him too, how easily Bones had become his air.

"I know I want this. I just...you want it too, right? No matter what mistakes I make? No matter if I'm not perfect?"

"Is that what this is about, Bones?" Booth replied, half surprised, half relieved. "I've told you this before, and I'll tell you again, I _love _you. You matter to me, mistakes and all. Just be Bones." He grinned. "Put the video back in."

"No." She smiled a little bit, smacking his chest.

"Are you gonna put it in, or am I going to have to?"

"Fine, fine."

She slid the video back in, replacing the plug in the outlet, and scooted herself farther up her bed so that she sat against its backboard. Booth followed, placing an arm around her. She let her head fall on his shoulder.

Before she had completely succumbed to sleep, Bones pressed the power button of the remote control. They apparently had only made it through the first eighteen minutes. Slowly, she turned so that she was on her side, and intuitively, Booth did too, although Bones could swear that he was asleep. His arm was still around her, and the other had somehow found her torso as well. Both had on their party attire, but neither cared as Bones slipped her wool blanket over them. Perhaps she was a hopeless romantic, but waking up in a lover's arms had always been the epitome of romance for Bones. Morning would bring her that satisfaction.

She wiggled her toes happily as Booth held her before she was finally overtaken by sleep.

**I hope you've been enjoying so far, thank you for reading! I'm not sure where this story's going to go yet, but I'm quite content with letting it stay like this for just a bit before moving on to something else in their relationship. Writing it has been a blast. Thanks for reading again, and don't forget to review! It means a ton. By the way, I'd love to hear what you'd like to see in this story. There's a lot of leeway between Bones and Booth, seeing as how they're relationship is still rather hidden and fresh, and any suggestions would be lovely. (: Of course, proper credit would go to you for the inspiration. Thanks again! **


	5. Crazy Cat Lady

**Eh, don't know where this is going, but stick along for the ride, please. **

Waking up beside him made her giggle.

There was something about the way he drooled just a little on his pillow, the entirety of his face buried in the white case. One of his arms was protectively resting on her back, the other supporting his head from beneath the pillow it lay on. His shirt was wrinkled, and his suit coat had been unbuttoned a few buttons. Bones couldn't remember if that was a result of his restlessness or perhaps a reminder of her unconscious longing.

She hoped it was the first.

He snored when he slept, something she had never known about him. It wasn't a loud sound, but rather a comforting, deep sort of breathing that guaranteed her he was asleep. He had long eyelashes that would occasionally move from beneath his closed eyelids.

She loved the way his hair was ruffled too; the gel he had used to style it the day before had seemingly worn off. It showed itself to her in soft, brown, boyish tufts. Bones couldn't help running a hand through it, her thumb lingering on his forehead. She traced his eyebrows with it, smiling to herself at his sleepy innocence. He looked so childlike. It amazed her that he could transform from this to the sturdy FBI agent she saw every single morning.

She loved how he was a light sleeper as well. Booth's eyes began to blink beneath her touch. He smiled as widely as he could, sleep still holding him back. Glancing around the room, he stretched out his arms, shooting them straight up until he heard some definite cracking, and then bringing them back down to cradle his head.

"Hi," he mumbled. He caught a glimpse of the white television on the other side of the room, all the occurrences of last night rushing back to him.

"We had to make it through at least twenty minutes," he continued.

"No, actually," Bones replied, "Only eighteen."

They chuckled for a few moments as Bones leaned down for a kiss.

"What should we do today?" Booth asked, circling Bones' palm with his finger.

"It's Monday, Booth," she answered, casting him a sad stare.

"Work."

"Mhm."

Booth rolled onto his side, a naughty smile appearing on his face.

"Only if we get a call."

Bones grinned.

The phone rang.

"Dang."

###

Walking into the Jeffersonian for the first time since she and Booth had undoubtedly shared some less than professional moments together was nerve-wracking. It was completely irrational— that she knew, and yet her heart still beat fast. She tried to pace the click-clack of her high heels the same way she always would, taking her steps large and confidently, holding the paperwork-filled folder in her _right_ hand, with her pinky sticking out just a little bit. She worked with professional scrutinizers; a pinky out of place was all they needed.

Pulling the big handle of the glass door as normally as she could, she made her way to the elevator, and eventually to her office. Sitting down in her chair, she placed her folder on the desk in front of her, proud to have successfully made it through the first hour of the day without any major crises.

"Doctor Brennan?"

Bones looked up from her desk, spotting Cam looking right at her. _What was wrong? She knew. Oh, god, she knew. _

"Doctor Hodgins and Zack have come up with a particularly messy experiment that will somehow prove something about this case," she began, "and the thought of those boys alone in that room scare the heck out of me and my four hundred dollar Herve Leger dress, so, if you could--"

Bones sighed in relief.

"I'll be down to keep my eye on them in two minutes."

"Thank you. My dress and I--" she paused. "Thank you."

Bones nodded.

Everything was going to be okay.

###

Getting through the tangerine explosion was tolerable. Bones had ducked behind a table, and managed to avoid the pulpy shrapnel. The tomato one was okay too, although the ceiling didn't look too happy about it. The kiwi one was the most destructive, sending pieces of brown skin and green flesh peppered with small black seeds all across the room. Bones crawled out from behind the stained furniture, smelling of a fruit salad, but fortunately not resembling one. She waved to her colleague and her intern happily as she walked out the door despite the obvious destruction, proud to add another half hour to her clock of secret-keeping.

"Bones!"

She turned, already knowing that her clock was about to crash and burn.

"Booth...what are you doing here?"

He looked at her, confused.

"I work here."

She shook her head.

"You work at the bureau. _I _work here."

Booth furrowed his eyebrows, his confusion obviously still present.

"We have a case, Bones," he replied, speaking slowly. His tone was gentle. "When we have a case, I work here."

"Oh."

He relaxed his stare, replacing it with a warning nod as he walked away.

Then again, maybe today wouldn't be so good.

###

Bones walked into Angela's office, her cheeks as red as her Jimmy Choos. Angela was seated at her desk, putting a forkful of pasta into her mouth. Bones stood behind her, trying to formulate an eloquent sentence to explain her current relationship with Booth.

"Booth and I..." Bones began, not exactly sure of how to continue.

Angela turned around, startled.

"Oh. My. God. Sweetie!"

She dropped the fork down with a gust of sudden understanding, and raced over towards her best friend. Hugging Bones, she flapped her arms in the air.

"I knew it. How is he?"

She winked at Bones, who got caught in another wave of scarlet.

"Well..."

"Oh god, he's bad, isn't he? I never expected that. Are you sure? It wasn't because of like, an allergy to something or anything like that?"

"No, Ange, I mean. I don't know."

"Oh. _Oh. _Wait, _why _don't you know?" She stared at her friend in disbelief, her eyebrows raised above her bulging eyes.

"Because he doesn't want to move too fast?"

Angela melted into her swivel chair, placing a melodramatic hand over her heart.

"Sweetie, that guy's sensitive too? And you didn't pounce?"

Bones looked slightly mortified.

"Angela, I don't _pounce. _Besides, this whole relationship thing is kind of...kind of..."

"Hot? Amazing? Cute? Funny? Dreamy? Tall? Broad-shouldered? _Gorgeous?_"

"Awkward, Angela. _Awkward._"

"Oh, _sweetie._"

Angela stood up, and sat down on top of her desk, gesturing to Bones to sit in her chair. She obliged, pressing her eyes shut as confusion overtook her.

"I don't want to mess anything up, Ange. It's taken five years for me to be able to accept this. If I just mess something up--"

"Sweetie, you're not gonna mess up anything. Don't you know how much that guy loves you?"

Bones stared.

"You know, and I mean this in the kindest way, you're extremely intelligent, but sometimes you're so..."

"Oblivious? Ignorant?"

"Clueless."

Bones crinkled her nose as Angela pointed to Booth through the glass wall of her office.

"That man, honey, is head over heels in love you."

"I never understood that saying, head over heels. It's so anatomically incorrect. For one's head to actually surpass their heels, either backwards or forwards, they would need to dislocate--"

"Really. He's _really _in love with you."

Brennan sighed.

"What do I do now?" she asked, "I think I already messed things up. No one's supposed to know. I don't know if I can live like that."

Angela bit her lip. This was big. Her advice needed to be proofread in her mind before it slipped out of her mouth.

"Ease into it, sweetie," she replied, nodding subconsciously, "Both of you have to be okay with letting it out in the open before it actually gets let out into the open. If he's not ready, you have to wait, just like you'd want him to wait if you weren't ready. If that means putting your outside relationship on hold until your work one can survive, then I'd say go with that. If you both want that. But if you're ready to be Jekyll and Hyde-- the lovey dovey kind, then go for it."

"I don't know what that means."

Angela chuckled.

"Yes you do. Go out there, and be yourself. And then when you're at home, be your other self."

Bones threw her arms around her best friend, squeezing her tight before letting go.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Ange."

"You'd be a crazy cat lady."

"I don't know what that--"

"Go, Bren."

They exchanged glances one last time before Bones finally walked out the door. 


	6. Compromises

**So, don't know where this beginning came from, but it lookey here like I might throw in a mystery in the mix of all of this relationship stuff. Maybe, maybe not. WE SHALL SEE. **

"The victim is approximately thirty five to forty years old."

Bones stood hunched over the body, or at least what was left of it. Today's case had brought them a skeleton, something ridiculously contradictory to the obscure victims they saw every day. It'd been found near a railroad track by a few pedestrians that liked to wander there. Hodgins had actually laughed when he imagined their faces upon stumbling across the pile of bones.

"Pelvic bone says male."

She pointed to the skull of the skeleton displayed on the monitor as Zack stared intently.

"These," she continued, gesturing to four sets of oddly shaped fractures, "are indicative of blunt force trauma from something..." She bit her lip, trying to think of an appropriate weapon.

"Something like a hammer," Zack offered.

She looked back at the skull matter-of-factly.

"Exactly. These depressions only occur when something hits the bone that is slightly spherical. The face of a hammer would do exactly this. It was extremely large, however. See if Angela can do a sketch."

Zack nodded as he began to walk out of the bone room.

"And tell her the tissue markers will be ready in two hours."

He nodded again, closing the door behind him.

###

"Great job, Ange."

"I try."

Bones, Booth, and Angela stood around the holographic table, examining the face of their latest case. This was always the hardest part for most of them, actually looking at the victim, not just particulates, or bone fragments. Here, the skeleton was about 5"11 with deep-set eyes, a wide nose, and a large, round mouth. Here, the skeleton was a person.

Angela cringed when the holographic hammer swung itself at the skull of the man four times, the third swing causing the man to collapse on the floor. Booth pressed his eyes shut briefly while Bones looked unfazed as she began to speak.

"Did you run it through missing persons?"

Angela looked up from the floor, the blush gone from her cheeks.

"Uh, yeah. We got a match. His name's Bill Pearson." She handed Bones a glossy picture of the man.

Booth flipped open his phone, dialing the bureau.

"Yeah. Agent Booth here. I need you to do a check on Bill Pearson. Yeah. Okay, thank you."

He held it to his ear for a few minutes as Angela and Bones mumbled to each other. Abruptly, he closed the phone, putting it in his back pocket once more.

"Get this," he began, "his brother's a carpenter."

Bones looked at him with raised brows.

"I suppose we're going there now?"

Booth nodded his head.

"You two lovebirds have fun!" Angela called out, winking at the two of them. Bones chuckled as Booth whipped around, astonished.

"You told her?" he whispered.

"I told you I would."

"I thought you'd tell me when you did."

"Well, sorry. Next time inform me of when you want a _double _reminder."

"You know I can hear you from here, right?"

Booth grinned awkwardly as Bones blinked a few times.

"See ya', Ange."

###

"So does this count as work?" Bones asked, comfortable in the passenger seat of Booth's big black car. He was steering with one hand on the wheel, the other slung leisurely across Bones' seat. His face was tight, as though he was in deep in thought, something Bones was oblivious to.

"Yeah, sure."

Bones' eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you okay?"

"Uh-huh."

"If you're going to lie, you could at least do it convincingly," Bones replied, smirking.

Booth turned slightly, replacing his right steering hand with his left one.

"Fine. Then no, I'm not okay."

"Well, what's wrong?"

"Bones, why'd you tell Angela?"

Brennan leaned back against her seat, suddenly irritated.

"Because this is important to me, and she's my best friend, Booth. I told you I was going to tell her the very first day this even _happened. _I don't understand why its such a big deal." She wanted to tell him that she didn't need to justify her actions for him, but Angela's advice kept running through her head.

Booth ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"I- I guess...I don't know, I guess it's not."

He bit the inside of his cheek.

"Bones, it's different with you. I don't think I'm even sure of why this is so hard," he began, "I just-- I don't want anything to change. It's perfect now. If something changes, then it may not be as perfect, and I'm _happy,_ Bones. But it means nothing if you're not happy too. If you want to tell people, and I don't...How can we fix this?"

"I think we just have to compromise. I told Angela. I'm fine with that. If you are too, then let's just continue this." Bones took his hand. "Our relationship, it's brand new," she continued, shaking her head subconsciously, "It's supposed to be confusing, and we're supposed to think that every move we make is irrevocable, and wrong. But I think we're on the right track now. We just need to give it some time, and see if it still feels right. And if you have a problem, _tell me._ This passive aggressiveness is childish," she chastised, a grin finding its way to her mouth as Booth's face fell. "But it's pretty adorable."

They looked at each other, grinning. Suddenly the car swerved on the road onto a series of mud-filled potholes. .

"Whoops," Booth muttered sheepishly as he turned the windshield wipers on, trying to rid his pride and glory of an SUV from the mud that had found its way onto it. Bones chuckled the whole time.

###

Interrogating had gone like it always had-- criticizing every detail, taking truth for lies and lies for truth. The ride back to the Jeffersonian was going the same way it usually went as well-- a silent session of reminiscing, interrupted occasionally by busy Washington D.C. honks and loud motorcyclists on Harleys.

Booth cracked his knuckles as he pulled into his parking spot.

"So...Bones..." he started.

She looked up at him, unbuckling her seat belt.

"Yes?"

"You uh...you wanna...um...go out? Like, on a date?" He said the last word with an exaggerated delicacy, dragging out the syllables a little longer than necessary, accentuating it with the vocal curve of an inquiry.

Bones stared at him blankly in reply.

"Why?"

She returned his question with one just as exaggerated as his. It echoed in her signature scientific drawl.

"Um, because?"

"That's not a sufficient answer, Booth. Because is a conjunction, so by itself, it is both gramatically and--"

"Because that's what couples do?" he replied quickly to save himself from an English lesson.

"Well," Bones began reluctantly, "If you want to."

"Aw, geez, Bones, don't be so enthusiastic," Booth bantered back, narrowing his eyes into an ironic squint.

"I--I wasn't, Booth."

"Sarcasm, Bones."

"Oh."

They sat like that for a few moments. The air between them was becoming increasingly tension-filled. Booth kept glancing back and forth from Bones to the dashboard. Both were quiet and still.

"I'd love to, Booth."

He looked at her with a thankful gaze. Angela's advice had come into Bones' mind for the second time that night, prompting her agreement. Booth was old fashioned, and Bones realized that. While she _obviously_ didn't see the same thing in a date as he did, she would go on one with him because that's what you do. You compromise. Seeing his face light up when she said she'd go out with him was all she needed to know that she was right-- they most definitely were on the right track.

**Thank you to all who have reviewed! And don't forget to review this one too! (:**


	7. Good Taste

**I think you'll like this chapter, people. Just sayin'. And also, for some reason, when I post these chapters up, the little dividers get messed up. So if it sounds like a different scene, it's 'cause it is. My apologies! **

Bones had decided to switch it up, meeting at Booth's place instead of her own. It seemed like every time he showed up, she got distracted somehow, and they either ended up on the couch, or on an equally provocative piece of furniture. As the night had progressed, Bones had realized more and more clearly that this was a defining moment in their relationship. Sure, dates were as mundane as meals to her, but if things went right, she would look back on this moment, and it would mean something to her.

She just wanted it to mean something special.

Glancing at the clock that flashed 6:45, she realized she was going to be late if she didn't leave now. Gathering her purse, and checking, double checking, _triple _checking her reflection in the mirror, she set out for Booth's apartment.

o o o o o

Ringing the doorbell sent a shiver down her spine. For the first time that night, she was nervous. She patted her dress down hurriedly, making sure there were creases where there were supposed to be creases, and that the skirt of it bulged outwards while the bodice clung to her skin tightly.

He opened the door in an instant, and she was overcome with shock. For someone that wore a suit every day, this one mesmerized her. He opened his door as wide as he could; the only thing holding him back was the metal hinge. She stepped inside, taking his hand. They were teenagers all over again, experiencing love for the first time. It was bliss.

"The reservation's at seven thirty, Bones," he began, suddenly feeling shy and self-conscious. Yeah, those were definitely teenage boy emotions. He sat next to her on the couch. Even when they _weren't _at her place, they still ended up there. "We should go."

She nodded, standing up.

"We should."

Booth walked to the door, pulling it out for her. She grinned at his manners. Who said chivalry was dead?

She was going to dine with the last living specimen of it, it seemed.

o o o o o

"Wow, this place is incredible," Bones exclaimed.

Booth had taken her to Le Deux, a new restaurant that was popular among D.C.'s nightlife-ettes. It was classy, she had to say. Bones found herself surprised at Booth's exquisite taste. She never had judged him by his likes and dislikes, but this was sure a step up from their favorite Chinese take out place.

Taking the last sip of her wine, she pressed her eyes shut, savoring the flavor of the moment. Booth had been charming the whole way through dinner, peppering her with jokes through the entirety of their meal, brushing her bare knee occasionally with his own. He had even pulled her chair out for her. It was something that Bones was not surprised at, but nevertheless, it made her excited.

"You have excellent taste, Booth," she remarked, glancing around at the Parisian decor.

Booth blushed, losing his manly-man exterior for just a second. Bones grinned at the effect she had on her.

"Thanks, Bones. I knew you'd like it. You told me you loved Paris, so I thought..." He trailed off, displaying his signature half smile.

Bones took his hand.

"That was sweet, Booth," she replied, still grinning.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Booth exclaimed suddenly, reaching into his breast pocket.

He pulled out a stemless rose.

"I know how much you like these too."

He winked, having evidently gained back his toughness. Bones chuckled. This had been fun, much to her surprise. Of course she knew any time she was with Booth, it would be enjoyable, but this calmness she found within herself was most certainly unexpected.

An eager waiter passed by their table, dropping the check obnoxiously onto the table, having no idea that he had just ruined a potentially romantic moment.

"Are you all done?" he asked obliviously.

Bones muttered a few curse words under his breath.

"I guess we are _now,_" he replied, almost snorting. Bones was looking at the waiter with a cold glare too.

"Well then, I'll leave you this check. Just pay whenever you're ready! Don't forget to tip!"

Both Bones and Booth stared at the now fleeting waiter incredulously.

"How much do you think I should?" Booth asked, "Fifteen or Twenty?"

"Isn't that a bit much for _that?" _Bones gestured towards their waiter, who was now slamming the check down on a nearby table, much to the diners' surprise.

"I mean cents, Bones."

They chuckled.

o o o o o

Arriving back at Booth's place brought that familiar pounding to Bones' chest, but it was new at the same time. He pushed open the door for her once more, and she found herself sitting on his sofa again. He plopped himself beside her, putting an arm on her shoulders. She rested her cheek on his shoulder.

She couldn't describe this feeling even if her publisher paid her a billion dollars to put it in her next book. It was cliche, she'd admit that, but it was _indescribable_. His arm protectively around her, her cheek on his broad shoulder? She could die right then, and she'd have no regrets.

Well, maybe just _one._

She brought her face up to his spontaneously, and kissed him; kissed him like she never had before. She was tired of waiting, _of taking things slow. _She was a fast paced person, and this was one compromise she wasn't willing to dabble into. He obliged, though she could taste the reluctance on his lips.

She pulled away, placing a hand on his cheek.

"It's okay, Booth."

Their lips crashed together once more, this time full of acceptance and readiness. The truth was that Bones was a little surprised at herself, but in no way was she hesitant. Her hands roamed across Booth's back, her mind swirling as her fingers pressed against muscle after muscle. They flexed beneath her touch, and Bones wanted to slap him for his obviously active ego. Playfully, of course.

His hands were just as adventurous, finding the back of her neck, tangling his fingers through her curled hair. They moved down, tracing her shoulder blades, and further down, they rested on the small of her back. He occasionally moved them to her waist, squeezing her.

Bones left his face, resorting to peppering kisses along his neck. He smiled against her skin. She ran a hand through his hair. Booth was suddenly overcome with his own gust of spontaneity, picking Bones up from the sofa, taking her to his bedroom.

She giggled girlishly along the way, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Booth was a traditionalist at heart, and he stopped every few moments to make sure Bones was okay. His care made her melt into him even more, and every time he touched her, she felt dizzy. The sight of her in his bed-- the wrinkled sheets, uncovered pillows, and glaring alarm clock made him purr. The overwhelming scent of him made Bones feel like she was going to pass out.

There was a tear of clothing every now and then, the hurried unzipping of a zipper, even the pop of a button. They were flesh against flesh now, their tongues ravishing each other like there was no tomorrow. Booth held her close, his protectiveness never faltering, and Bones let herself be held, her nails digging into Booth's back whenever the intense passion of the moment got the better of her. They were uninhibited, five years of passion coming to a climax all at once. Their emotions were released in their kisses, their fervor increasing with every thrust.

Their pace decreased now, and each was enjoying just being in each others' presence. Bones ran her fingers through Booth's hair, and he kissed her: on her cheeks, on her nose, on her mouth, on her neck. She scratched his cheek gently, warmly welcoming the stubble that greeted her. Their limbs were entangled, just as frazzled as their emotions.

They'd felt anticipation and longing for the past five years. This was satisfaction.

It was pretty good. 


	8. Lonely Moments

**Here's a little "She thinks, he thinks" chapter, where you can kind of get into these crazy kids' heads. **

Bones woke up the same way she fell asleep-- in Booth's bed...and his arms.

His shirt was completely off, and much to Bones' surprise, it had found its way on her. She chuckled softly, not wanting to wake him up. Her perfect idea of romance was _this_, waking up in her lover's arms, and she had gotten it twice in a row. Talk about a dream come true.

She buried her face in his chest, inhaling his heavy cologne. Often, she had to mentally pinch herself, wondering if this had really come true. Bones hated psychology, but she was fascinated by the brain, and the fact that she could feel this much happiness from a few chemical reactions amazed her. As she pressed her body into his, curling herself up near his warmth, she closed her eyes, pressing subconsciously against his firm abdomen with her fingers. He flexed, like he did last night. Bones realized that he was awake, and looked up at a grinning Booth. She smacked him softly, just like she promised herself he would. He let out a throaty laugh.

"Last night was...wow," he said, pressing his lips to Bones' forehead. He locked his fingers together at Bones' back, trapping her in an inescapable embrace.

"I know," she replied, smirking.

"This was better than I imagined it would be."

Bones stared at him with her oblivious blue eyes.

"You _imagined _what it would be like?" Her tone was half surprised, half playful.

"Well, yeah." Booth cleared his throat. "I guess I've kind of imagined it forever."

"You kind of sound like a man-pig right now, you know."

"A man-pig?"

"Yeah. That's what Angela calls them anyways. You know, the guys that actually take time out of their day to _imagine _this?"

She chuckled, but Booth looked hurt.

"Well...I..."

"If it makes you feel any better," Bones began, sensing a little bit of tension, "I've been imagining this for forever too. I guess that kind of makes me a woman-pig." She kissed him, the discomfort melting away with their fleeting breaths...and Bones' lack of comedic skill. Booth's hand found hers, and they rested for a while in a companionable silence. The alarm clock rang eventually, shattering their peaceful reverie.

o o o o o

Bones had found her way to her apartment, still in Booth's shirt. There was something comforting about the way it enveloped her in his scent, one of heavy cologne, fabric softener, and just _him. _It hung loosely on her, the first button starting where the fourth or fifth would be on one of her own button-downs. Glancing at the clock, she knew she was going to be late for work if she didn't finish getting ready in the next twenty minutes. Unbuttoning the white collared top, she ran to the shower, and pulled the faucet downwards. She climbed in a few minutes later as the stream of water began to steam.

Running her hands over her torso, Bones felt all the places Booth's hands had been what seemed like just hours earlier. His fingers had explored the soft flesh of her stomach, her thighs, her cheeks, her back. They had run through her hair, entangling themselves in the soft jungle of brown locks. Each touch had been a comforting gesture, and the way he was so gentle with her gave her an inexplicable feeling. She missed him already.

She pushed the faucet's handle back up to the 'off' position, realizing the hot water was futile in calming her rampant nerves. Another day would have to go by as Dr. Brennan before she could become Bones again, _his _Bones. Angela was right, though: this Jekyll and Hyde thing, whoever they were, was hard.

o o o o o

Booth was ready in an instant, his heart pounding in his chest. It seemed like only a few moments had passed, and he had already showered, gotten dressed, and even picked out banana yellow socks with purple stripes running across it. The excitement Bones gave him was enough to fuel him forever, it seemed. He kept imagining her beside him, and the feeling of pure satisfaction she gave her whenever he could hold her, talk to her, see her smile, even.

The last time he'd felt something like this was...never. He genuinely couldn't recall a time where he was so happy with his life. Sure, there was Rebecca, but they hadn't had _this. _There was a reason they weren't together, after all.

Maybe he was attracted to Bones' dedication to work, her unsurpassed precision and concentration. Maybe it was because she was beautiful, inside and out. Maybe it was that she was an amazing listener. He'd heard her say on more than one occasion that she thought how he could read people was amazing, but he'd never pointed out that she did it every day too. She read _him. _Every angry snap, every hasty gesture would always be followed by a caring inquiry. And Booth would always answer. And Bones would always listen.

He plopped himself back onto his bed, cradling his head with his hands. He turned onto his side in a swift motion, restless, and put a hand out where Bones had once been. He missed her too.

It seemed like his life with Bones, no matter how wonderful, would always be at an imbalance: Minutes were an eternity when they were partners. And when they were lovers, they passed by far, far too fast.

**Thank you for the great reviews, everyone! BTW: How excited are all of you for next Thursday? **


	9. Lucky Stars

**Thank you all for reading and leaving reviews. They're really sweet. (:**

Omg, I'm so excited. One, because Bones is coming in in a mere 50 hours, and two, because I actually know where I'm going with this story now! I have something up my sleeve for the next couple chapters, so stick with me. Writing happy mushy B/B fluff is amazing, but I'm ready for just a bit of conflict, so that this story doesn't turn all annoyingly soap opera-y in every sense of those words. But for now...let the happy mushy B/B fluff begin! 

Morning had brought Booth and Bones to work, and both of them felt illicitly high.

The covert couple stood around the severely decomposed body, their eyes darting from the victim to each other, playful and knowing. Secret keeping felt dangerous, empowering, as if they'd been given a precious gift that no one else was entitled to. Keeping everyone else in the dark made it sacred. w

Or at least, that's what Bones was telling herself.

She had finally plateaued in discomfort with the entire situation, her calm, rational mind unable to comprehend why Booth wanted to keep his relationship with her a secret. She had slowly let herself come to grips with it, to the point where the topic almost brought out a certain nonchalance in her. But there were times, although rare, where she had to sit down with herself, and just think about it for a while. There was never any progression, any sudden realization that came to her when she did that. In fact, it always made her feel a little bit unsure of herself.

This would come as a surprise to Booth, the very reason she didn't dare tell him. The only problem about being with Booth is that is disabled her from talking about him...with him. At least when they were partners, a jab or two in the side would result in a laugh or comeback. Now they would just spiral into silly relationship problems.

Wonderful.

"We arrested his brother, Bones," Booth announced suddenly, tapping his fingers on his thigh, "He confessed this morning."

Bones looked up.

"That's it? This is has to be the shortest case we've ever worked on." She smiled slightly, looking at the body she had only just begun to know.

"Well, that's just the way it is, Bones," Booth replied, sighing. "Agent Deere's been put on the case. Our jobs are done." He grinned, raising his eyebrows. "Whadd'ya wanna do?"

"Well...I've been thinking..."

"Oh boy."

Bones chuckled to herself. She wasn't going to tell him how she felt just yet. There was a little more time for fun before the boring emotional stuff...wasn't there?

She walked up to him, placing her hands daringly on his chest. His breathing quickened, glancing around the room to make sure everyone was out of sight.

"Bones--"

"Shhh." She put a finger across his mouth. "Let's take a trip."

Booth looked at her in awe.

"_You _want to leave work?"

"Well, I figure it would only be for a few days. I've hardly used any of my personal or sick days in my past employment, so it only seems fair to take advantage of them now." She winked, and Booth drew in a sharp breath.

"Oh my god."

Booth grabbed her shoulders animatedly, and pushed her gently from side to side, searching for something.

"Booth?"

"Who are you, and what did you with Bones?"

Bones stared at him vacantly.

"I'm Dr. Temperance Brennan? And I _am_ Bones?" She spoke each word slowly, utterly confused. Booth pressed his eyes shut, laughing softly as he shook his head from side to side.

"Never mind."

"So...you'll go?"

Booth thought for a second.

"I have to talk to Rebecca...not to mention the Bureau." he replied, chuckling. "This was supposed to be my weekend with Parker. But, then...sure."

Bones beamed.

"So, where are we going exactly?" he asked.

"I don't know," Bones answered, "How about Vegas?" She looked at him, her nose scrunched up towards the side of her face, contemplating a trip to Sin City.

"Whoa, Bones...Vegas? That's across the country." Booth's eyes were wide, and his foot tapped excitedly on the floor. This side of Bones was one he rarely saw...he'd forgotten how much he enjoyed it.

"Well, are you an FBI agent or what?" Bones countered. "Can't you borrow a super jet or something?"

"A super jet? What's a super jet?"

"You know what I mean."

Booth thought quietly.

"Why don't we drive?"

"Drive?" Bones looked somewhat astonished. "As in a road trip? That's so nineteen forties."

"Aw, come on, Bones," Booth's dark brown eyes pleading, "It'll be fun, I promise." He wiggled his fingers in a borderline jazz-hands motion, and Bones returned it with a tiny grin.

"Okay."

Booth leaned his head down quickly, kissing her tenderly on the forehead.

"You two should watch it."

Angela stood below the lab's platform, a warning hand on her hip. She shifted her weight to her right side, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

"I mean, yeah, I get it, new romances are always exciting, but do you guys _know _where we are?"

She smirked at them.

"I'm telling you this for your guys' sake. If Cam were to walk in here..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "But _personally..._I find an audience rather--"

"Okay, Angela," Booth interrupted, his cheeks verging on a rosy blush, "We get it."

Angela smiled.

"By the way, Vegas this time of year is the bomb."

She winked before she strode off.

o o o o o

Booth walked over to his dining table, placing the takeout for two in the center of it.

"Did you get the--"

"Right here, Bones."

He tossed a handful of fortune cookies towards her. She caught them, giggling. Booth took a seat next to her as she took out the greasy cartons from the plastic bag in which it was contained.

"These are gonna kill us one day," she announced cheerfully as she wiped her fingers on a paper towel. "All this fat-- it's clogging our arteries chow mein after chow mein." She nodded subconsciously towards the supposedly fatal food.

"And yet," Booth replied, placing a plate and set of utensils in front of each of them, "We still eat it."

"It's the human condition."

They paused for a few moments to pile food on their plates.

"I talked to Andrew, by the way," Booth said, "He says I can have the weekend off." He smiled excitedly. There was something about this trip that felt so wrong it was right.

"And Rebecca?"

"She says its fine. She was gonna go see her parents anyway, so she's taking Parker with her now."

Bones circled her chopsticks around the perimeter of her plate subconsciously.

"Parker's a great kid. We should all do something together one day."

Booth smiled.

"We should. I'd...he'd like that."

They looked at each other for a moment, studying the people that looked back at them. It was funny how you could see someone every day, but never really _see _them until fate pushed you two together. Is that what this was? Fate tampering with their lives? Not that Bones or Booth could blame it. They'd taken years to act on what fate had done for them in minutes.

"I booked a room, Booth," Bones said, "I totally forgot. It's the master suite." She winked at him and he grinned. "When should we leave?"

"Today's what...Thursday? How about tomorrow night?"

Bones rubbed her hands together. "Sounds good."

Booth hovered over her suddenly, their faces just inches apart.

"You know, this spontaneity...it's hot on you." His eyes searched Bones' blue orbs. They sparkled with delight and mischief.

Bones couldn't take it any more. She pushed herself forward, and Booth fell back into his chair. Slowly, her lips found their way to his, and they were dancing a dance of two desperate travelers thirsting for liquid lust. She stood briefly, seated herself in Booth's lap, and pressed her body even further into his. Booth put his hands on her thighs, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Soon enough, they'd be flesh against flesh, mouths moving against tender skin, hands roaming across bodies like there was no tomorrow.

They'd thank fate later.

**For the record, I do a lot of my writing really late at night when I'm borderline asleep, and then submit them so that I can see the reviews first thing in the morning, which is why some of the grammar may be mangled up. Yeah, yeah, I know, pathetic. Whatevs. :D**


	10. Road Trip

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! I might add that I'd love if you could check out my other story, Ten Days, and tell me how I'm doing there.**

Bones let her hand dangle out of the car window, and it trembled in the speedy wind.

"You're right, Booth. This is fun."

She wiggled her fingers and looked over towards her boyfriend/partner. It was strange, thinking of him as her boyfriend. It _was _who he was now, but the title seemed so juvenile when applied to him. And god. Was she his _girlfriend?_ She smiled.

"Told'ja, Bones."

Booth glanced at her, his seatbelt and the law the only things keeping him from leaning over and kissing her. She was beautiful when she smiled. Hell, she was beautiful when she was angry too.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Bones asked, furrowing her eyebrows. Her blue eyes stared at Booth, and she blinked rapidly.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're beautiful? Like, gorgeous?" Booth half wanted to smack himself for being such a teenage boy all over again. But it was true. There, with him, her hair blowing in the wind from the rolled down pane of glass, she was stunning.

"Um, yes, actually. People tell me that all the time. They find my symmetry rather appealing."

Booth laughed, and the sound made Bones tingle. She was happy that she could make him laugh.

Even when it meant that she had said something stupid.

"You're beautiful too, Booth," she continued, nodding. Booth frowned.

"Bones, guys don't like to be called beautiful," he replied. "You call art beautiful. You call scenery beautiful...You call _women _beautiful. Not guys. Nope--" he paused, "You call guys handsome. Manly. Muscular."

He flexed.

"You have...flattering symmetry, Booth?" She raised her voice in question.

"Eh, better, I guess," he replied, grinning. Bones shook her head, chuckling.

"So how much longer?"

"Getting bored already?"

"No, it's just...well, yes. I don't do well in long car rides. Never have."

Booth looked surprised.

"You take them often?" He shifted his hands on the steering wheel.

"No," she started, "M-my mother used to take Russ and I to California every summer, and we'd drive up the coast," she replied. "It just...it reminds me of her."

She looked down sadly, wringing her fingers. Everything made sense to Booth suddenly.

"Is that why you didn't want to go before?"

She nodded.

"It's okay to miss her, you know," he said comfortingly, looking over at her every couple seconds. "Normal, even." He smiled.

"She'd be proud of you. Of what you've become."

Bones looked up, and suddenly she was irrationally irritated.

"You don't know that," she replied quietly. "You have no way of knowing that. She's dead."

She breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. Booth looked at her apologetically. He had forgotten how black and white life was to Bones in some aspects.

"Moms are universally the same, Bones," he began, "Whether or not they're no longer with us. They'll always be proud of their children. It's in their genes."

"There is no scientific merit that proves a genetic influence on..."

"I know, I know, Bones."

She looked to the floor.

"You really think she'd be proud of me? You know, if it were physically possible for her to feel...proud?"

Booth turned to her, taking a hand off the steering wheel, and putting it on hers.

"I think she would be."

They sat in silence for a few moments, each letting their thoughts wander.

"Hey, Bones, look where we are!"

Brennan looked up and a million flashing lights looked back at her. There were signs, music, people, nothing like D.C. She'd been to Vegas several times before, of course, but each time she took a trip, the lifestyle of the city amazed her. Everyone was able to compartmentalize for just a few days, maybe even a few hours, and just a have a good time. She envied that. Perhaps it was her sometimes overly-rational mind, or her prior emotion trauma with her family and her overall situation, but she could never do that. There was constantly a voice in the back of her head, chanting all the things she'd have to think about sooner or later. Over and over again it spoke. _Why was their relationship a secret? _

"Wow," she managed to get out, "It's amazing."

"I know. Oh, I see the hotel from here."

Booth pressed his foot to the gas pedal hard, and sped to the entrance, Bones chuckling along the way.

"Alpha male tendencies," she muttered.

o o o o o

"Oh my god."

Booth dropped his bag in his the hotel room's doorway-- if you could even call it a hotel room. It was more like a master bedroom that had been furnished by someone with a billionaire's credit card for the day. Matching pieces were scattered across the room, every square inch of the carpet covered with some kind of oriental rug.

"What's wrong, Booth?" Bones asked, as she plopped herself onto the bed.

"What? Oh. Uh, nothing. It's just...this room. How much did this cost again?"

"The average price," she replied, confused. "Is something missing?"

Bones gaped at her.

"_Missing?_" he asked, his eyes widening. "We could sell all this stuff on eBay and be gajillionaires!"

"There's no such number, Booth," Bones replied, squinting, "And besides. These are all basic amenities." She shrugged.

"Basic amenities?" He asked, sitting down on the bed beside her, "And where do _you _live? Buckingham Palace?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Booth," she answered, grinning. "Do you like it?"

"_Like it?_ I--"

"I wish you'd stop answering me in questions," Bones joked, crossing her legs.

"Sorry," Booth replied, "It's just that-- oh my god. Is that mini bar?"

He ran to it, his smile belonging to a child on Christmas morning.

Bones laughed at him, half amused, half playfully concerned. That guy was crazy.

"Would you like anything, Bones?" he asked, gesturing to the bottles of alcohol.

"No thank you," she replied, "I'll wait 'till we get downstairs." She smiled politely.

"M'kay," Booth replied, walking back towards her. He hovered over for a few seconds, grinning mischievously.

"There's a magician performing at seven thirty," he said, "Wanna go see it? Apparently he can read minds." He winked.

"You know I don't believe in that."

"Come on, Bones," Booth replied, "It'll be fun."

"You say that a lot."

"And I'm always right."

Bones thought about it for a moment.

"Alright," she agreed finally. "It's only six, though. What should we do until then?"

Booth began to hover even closer, his smiling lips almost touching Bones'.

"I have an idea."

**Haha, it's so fun ending on such naughty notes. Thanks for reading! **


	11. Alternate Reality

**So, I have a bone to pick with Bones. No pun intended. The 100th episode (and if you haven't seen it yet, this isn't really a spoiler), definitely made me see things in a new light, and its annoying me because I'm having a hard time not changing the dynamic in my story. (How was that for a not-spoiling-spoiler?) But, anyways, here's my next update~ By the way, I have this nutty goal of reaching 100 reviews soon because that would just be awesomesauce, so if you'd help me reach that, it would make me really really happy! **

"That was _fantastic._"

Bones stretched her toes out, feeling a pleasurable soreness in her thighs. Booth was resting sloppily beside her, his face drowning in his pillow, the blanket messily strewn across his exposed body. Bones put a finger on his back, feeling it from the base of his neck to to where it cinched slightly into a masculine waist. She smiled to herself, thinking that just a few days ago, she wouldn't have even let herself dream of this.

Wait.

Had she been _that _in love with him the whole time? That she needed to not _let _herself to _dream_ of this in order to avoid disappointment? She chuckled as she looked over towards Booth. It had always been there-- this spark she felt with him. Every second she spent with him made her excited, made her feel loved. She called herself brilliant, but she had been an _idiot, _missing out on _this _all this time.

Booth turned around, flailing his arm at Bones suddenly. Her eyebrows furrowed until she realized what he was pointing to.

"It's already seven twelve," he whined, "We're gonna be late."

Bones groaned.

"Do we _have _to go?"

She felt her mood drop instantaneously at the thought of getting out of bed. Laying there-- with that view, particularly-- was just fine.

"Booones," Booth continued, "We had this conversation an hour ago. And we established that we would go."

"Am I not allowed to change my mind?"

"You are, but I'd love if you came with me."

He looked at her with his pleading brown eyes, and she could swear her internal organs would've done a flip...if it were physically possible, or more importantly, nonfatal.

"Fine," Bones said, "Although you _are _aware that magic is simply nonexistent, more logically attributed to fallacies in human observation or...or...realistic gags."

Booth raised his eyebrows.

"Realistic gags? Those don't sound like squinty words."

"They're not," Bones replied, grinning. "I'm expanding my vocabulary."

Booth laughed softly.

"You know what, Bones?" he asked, moving his face towards hers slowly. A smile crept on her face, and she had the urge to cover herself up with the blanket. He leaned forward even more, until their noses were touching.

"We're gonna be late."

He drew his face back and winked at Bones, and she let out a sigh.

"Alright, alright," she conceded, "But I get to shower first."

o o o

Seven forty five brought them downstairs after their fair share of naughty entendres. They took seats near the front of the stage despite Bones' protesting.

"It's always better in the front row," Booth had said.

Luckily for them, the show had not yet started; something about a wardrobe malfunction in the previous performance had provided them with a delay. They sat patiently, Booth awaiting the trigger of happy childhood memories, Bones awaiting an individual with nothing better to do than to fool people with mirrors and undercover assistants dressed as audience members.

Bones felt bad the second she sat down, seeing Booth's face in an expression of sheer joy. She would've taken that away from him if she had decided not to come. It was completely strange, the way he obtained such happiness from something as irrational as a magic show. She shrugged inwardly as the lights dimmed and a tall male walked on stage.

"Sorry for the delay, ladies and gentlemen," he announced, "But we're ready for the show to begin."

The audience clapped without enthusiasm. Booth yelled excitedly and pumped his fist into the air.

"I was going to start with a few of my favorite tricks, but you strike me as the more serious type," he replied, glaring at the audience playfully. A few of them chuckled. Most shifted uncomfortably in their seats. "So, I'm going to cut right to the chase. May I have a volunteer?"

Booth raised his hand wildly in the air, his smile stretched to the extremes of his face.

The magician's lips curled.

"You, sir," he said, pointing to Booth as he began to stand happily, "Can you help the woman next to you up onto the stage?"

Now the audience was laughing heartily, and Booth smirked as he turned to Bones.

"What?" she said, "No, Booth, you go."

Booth shook his head.

"He wants you, Bones."

She sat with her mouth slightly open, not wanting to get out of her seat. She tried shaking her head, but Booth had already pried her out of her chair, and her legs were taking her to stand near the magician before she could even try to stop them.

"Can we get a hand for the lady?" the magician asked. The crowd gave a round of applause.

"Now, miss, what was your name?"

Bones glared at him.

"Dr. Temperance Brennan."

He chuckled at her.

"Okay, _Dr. Brennan_, can I have you sit right here, please?" He pointed to the chair, and Bones obliged, squinting at Booth angrily from the stage.

"Now, I need you to close your eyes," he commanded. Bones looked at him as if he were insane.

"Wha- why?"

"Because I'm going to hypnotize you, of course."

The audience laughed at Brennan's unwillingness to participate.

"Hypnosis is ridiculous," she replied.

"You don't think it works?" The magician looked at her with slight surprise. She stared right back at him.

"No, of course it works," she answered with contempt, "But it should only be used in a medical situation, or to aid in a crime investigation like we do at the Jeffersonian."

"The what?"

Bones bit her lip.

"Nevermind."

The magician looked a bit irritable at this point as he searched the crowd mindlessly for another volunteer.

"Would you rather I chose someone else? You seem...incapable of this."

The audience let out an "ooh" as if the magician was winning some kind of banter contest. Booth was grinning like an idiot from below the stage.

"Incapable?" Bones spat, "I'm not _incapable._" She pressed her eyes shut. "Fine. I'm ready."

Smirking, the magician rubbed his hands together.

"Okay. I need you to take a few deep breaths for me."

Bones obeyed. What could possibly happen anyways? Worse case scenario, she'd cluck like a chicken like Cam did when _she _got hypnotized. The sooner this was over, the sooner they could hit the slots. With her impeccable mathematics, she never left Vegas without a hefty sum as her prize.

"Relax your body," the magician cooed, "Feel your arms, legs, feet. Time your breathing. You'll remember everything that happens from here on out if you just stay relaxed."

Bones found herself in a restful state, wiggling her toes from within her high heels. She breathed deeply, steadily until the magician's voice became more and more distant.

_'Temperance?'_

Bones looked in front of her, and saw the magician. They weren't on the stage anymore, rather in the laboratory at the Jeffersonian. Were they alone? She looked around. It sure seemed like it.

'Temperance, what do you see?'

The magician looked at her intently, every hint of a smile wiped from his face. She looked around at her platform, at the table where her victim would lie, at the door to her office a few feet away.

'We're...we're at the Jeffersonian.'

The magician nodded.

'Can you explain to the audience what it looks like?'

'It..." she began, trying to find the words to describe the place she was normally so familiar with, "It's empty right now. No one's in it. The platform's light it turned off, but the rest of the lab is lit. But..." she trailed off, looking into her office through the glass panels beside her door, "It looks like someone's in my office."

She got up and tried to see who it was, but the magician stood in front of her, putting his hands on her shoulders.

'Whoa, Temperance,' he said, 'You're going to fall of the stage. Just imagine it.'

She nodded, and suddenly she was sitting in her office, Booth standing in front of her. The magician was looking at her from the door.

'Booth? How are you here?' she asked, reaching out to him.

'It's your _subconscious,' he replied, chuckling. Bones nodded in response, as if she understood._

'Who are you talking to, Temperance?' the magician asked. He was beginning to annoy her. Why couldn't he just let her keep talking? Or rather, why couldn't he just leave altogether?

'I-I'm talking to Booth, can't you see?'

She pointed to the real Booth that was sitting near her, watching her in awe.

_'Is he your boyfriend?'_

Bones nodded slowly.

'I guess.'

'Is there anything you want to ask him?'

Bones chewed on her lip, thinking. She stopped after a few moments and looked at the magician.

'Yes, actually.'

'Well, go ahead, then.'

She turned to the Booth in her imagination, and looked at him straight in the eyes.

'Why don't you want to tell everyone about us?'

The imaginary Booth looked unfazed, while the one in real life looked confused. __

'Is it because you're ashamed of me, so you don't want anyone else to know? I can handle it, Booth, if you would just tell me that to my face. I'm not a child.'

She looked around the room, suddenly a little self-conscious. She was surprised to see that the magician's appearance had changed. In fact...he looked a lot like Sweets at the moment.

'Does the fact that he doesn't want to tell anyone bother you, Dr. Brennan?' the young doctor asked. The Booth of Bones' subconscious stood idly, his hands dangling uselessly by his sides, his face completely expressionless.

Bones paused for a few moments and thought some more.

'It does,' she replied, looking to the floor, 'It makes me feel inadequate. Which is rather idiotic, considering the fact that I'm beautiful and brilliant.' She could hear a loud burst of laughing coming from a rather large group of people, but there was no one else in her office. Where was the sound coming from?

'Why do you think he doesn't want to tell anyone?' Sweets pressed. He looked genuinely concerned.

'I...I don't know.' Bones answered. 'I don't know, Sweets.'

The magician bent forward, examining the woman in front of him carefully.

"Who's Sweets?"

Bones broke out of her hypnosis in that instant, blinking furiously until her thoughts were arranged clearly in her mind. She was in Vegas right now, with Booth. Not at the Jeffersonian. What did she just say? Had she just told him that...oh, god.

She looked at the audience who was giving her a second round of applause. The magician bowed, gesturing to Brennan appreciatively. She couldn't have really told him what she felt, could she? In front of all these people? That wasn't how it was supposed to go. She continued searching the crowd and caught the horrified face of Booth.

Her lips moved, but no sound came out.

Booth stood up to leave.

**So, here's the conflict I promised you, muahaha! I've been planning to put something like this in for a while, so when I got the suggestion that I should hypnotize Brennan, it kind of fell into place. Thanks a ton, fivesteamboatsxD! Sorry if any of it is confusing...it's very clear in my mind, so it makes sense to me, but I'd understand if you're totally lost. PM me if you need an explanation. And don't forget to review. Remember, 100's the big number I'm going for! **


	12. Chasing

**Ew, so this is one of those times when 5.16 runs through my head and the characters in my mind get tainted. I think I'm starting to make Booth a bit of a baby because I feel bad for him ever since he got rejected. So I'm going to apologize in advance if this chapter is a bit out of character, but it's the best I can do. Unless someone wants to take the little chunk out of my brain that has memorized that particular episode, of course. **  
_  
'Is it because you're ashamed of me, so you don't want anyone else to know? I can handle it, Booth, if you would just tell me that to my face. I'm not a child.'_

The words couldn't stop running through Booth's head as he shoved his way through the hotel's foyer. They chiseled him, breaking off tiny pieces of his mind and scattering them across the floor in a trail as he fled. He was only a little humiliated; these people would probably never see him again, let alone recognize him. But Bones-- she wasn't someone he could exactly escape.

She'd blindsided him with her emotions; that was exactly what she did. Instead of talking to him about them, she'd told about everyone else in the hotel too. It wasn't exactly her fault for that...he _had _pushed her up there, and when under hypnosis, Booth doubted the filter between the mind and mouth stayed in place. He tried to find a flaw in her logic, something that he could use not only against him, but her too. The only argument he could see himself provoke was: _Why didn't you just tell me to begin with?_

But that was too weak.

The hardest part in all this was trying to find the person on whom to put the majority of the blame. Did it belong with Brennan, for not being upfront, for pretending things were okay when in reality, they were slowly tearing at her? Or was it Booth's-- for basically doing the same?

"Booth!"

He recognized the voice immediately, and couldn't decide whether to turn around, or to just walk slower to let Bones catch up. Turning around seemed too spineless. He'd made a decision-- it was just a little bit her fault too.

So he kept walking.

"Booth."

She seemed just a little out of breath, and her four inch heels told him why. She strode next to him for a few seconds, and when she realized she wasn't sure when he was going to stop, she swung herself in front of him. It worked.

"Bones, what the--"

"Just stop for a minute."

He did, and found himself the victim of her often intense gaze. Luckily, she'd found the one man who could do it right back to her.

"What do you want me to say?" Bones asked. This was one of the few things she wasn't good at. Booth was obviously hurting because of her, but the tools she needed to mend that hurt were beyond her.

He brought a frustrated hand to his forehead, using his thumb and middle finger to rub at his temples.

"What do you _want _to say, Bones?" he asked tiredly. "That you haven't said already, anyways." His hand lifted just a little bit, subconsciously pointing to the stage a couple rooms away. Bones' mouth tensed into a fine line.

"Don't, Booth. That wasn't my fault. If you hadn't _pushed_ me up there--"

"Oh yeah, this is totally _my_ fault." Booth interrupted, "I wake up every day with new plans to make you feel _inadequate._" He spat her words back at her.

She looked at him in slight confusion, not able to tell whether or not he was being sarcastic. Planning to do something so malicious seemed completely out of Booth's character, so she decided that his words, along with the ironic tone he encased them in, were indeed an example of the strange, fake, verbal hostility people often used.

"Booth, the _only_ thing I feel I should apologize for is not being upfront."

She stood straight, with her hands stubbornly on her hips. There was no way in hell he was going to blame this all on her.

"Well, why weren't you?" he asked.

"Booth, I told you about how I felt at the very beginning of all of this!" she reminded him, "You gave me some excuse about Cam and you and that...it's not good enough for me. Why, Booth? Just tell me why."

Her words weren't pleading, merely curious. They felt strong, as if they were backed up with an arsenal of thought.

"Bones, I..."

He trailed off, words that were on the tip of his tongue dissolving into a desperate sigh.

"Do you know how long this has taken us?" he started again, motioning to the two of them.

Bones looked back at him blankly.

"_Five _years. Five." He stretched out the syllables of the words he spoke. _"Six_, if you count the whole running off to Guatemala thing. I feel like this whole time, I've been chasing, and finally, _finally_, you let me catch you. If you run off again...Bones, I don't know if I can chase you any more."

"Booth, I don't know what that means."

He paused for a second, trying to find another way to convey his feelings.

"Telling everyone makes it real. It makes it big. Big scares me. I mean, the higher you are, the harder you fall, right? I...I was protecting us, Bones."

He looked at the floor as if he made a humiliating confession. Bones wanted to hold him now, to comfort him, but there was still an ounce of frustration within her.

"No, Booth, you were protecting _you,_" she replied, taking a step closer to him. "I'm not leaving. This whole thing overwhelms me and scares me but I like it, Booth. I _like _it. I can't tell you what will happen in the future. I can't say that things will never go wrong, because they probably will, and we both need to be patient and understanding, but Booth..." She took his hand, and enclosed it tightly in hers, "I'm not leaving. I won't make you chase me anymore. I'm here. I'm yours." She paused. "I just have to tell them. I need that."

She searched his eyes for an answer before it could leave his mouth. Keeping this relationship a secret was burdensome, and the weight of it all was beginning to be too much. Maybe this inexplicable need to tell everyone about them was irrational, but she wanted so much to have a life where people could be happy for what she had finally accepted. It was the teenage girl fantasy inside her of walking into a room with a man on her arm and having every single head turn towards them that she wanted to make a reality.

"Monday," Booth conceded, "We can tell them Monday."

He sighed with relief and she brought her lips to his and kissed him. Throwing her hands around his neck, she found the one place in which she always felt safe and loved. He put his hands on her waist and as she pressed her body to his in response, his chest puffed out in biological pride.

No one ever knows what tomorrow will bring them, but the truth is, today is all that matters.

**Thanks for reading! **


	13. Counting Cards

**So in this chapter, we're going to start reaching the heart of the Vegas experience. It's a lot of fun to write. Booth and Brennan should just **_**move**_** to sin city. **

Bones, for the first time, was dreading going back to work.

It was such an odd feeling, not wanting to go back to the one place you'd convinced yourself you always belonged. But it was true. If she didn't have to go back for some time, she would actually be content. Happy, even.

Vegas had found a way of infusing her with its lifestyle, with its city-that-never-sleeps character. She'd breathed in its scent, tasted its food, felt out its pros and cons, and after a short period of analyzing and rationalizing, she decided she definitely would come back here. With Booth, preferably.

"You know, all this time we've been down here, we haven't even been to the casino," Bones said, flipping through the pages of her dessert menu nonchalantly. It was ironic how easy it was to avoid gambling in Vegas. Wasn't that all anyone ever did here? Play some slots, count cards, get escorted out of someplace a couple times? She froze for a second.

"Oh."

Booth looked up at her quietly.

"I completely forgot about your gambling problem," she whispered, albeit loudly, earning an awkward glance from their waiter as she passed by.

Booth's lips tensed into a fine line.

"Oh yeah." He looked back down to his menu. "The 'Hunka Hunka Burnin' Cheesecake' looks pretty good, right?"

"Oh _yeah?_" Bones repeated, ignoring his pathetic attempt at a change of subject, "Why didn't you remind me before we came to Vegas, _of all places_? Isn't it like taking an alcoholic into a John Adams brewery?" She clicked her tongue to herself as Booth's eyebrows furrowed.

"You mean Samuel Adams?" he offered, laughing.

"What?"

"Nevermind." He put his own menu down for a second. "And Bones, its not really a big deal. I'll just, you know, lay low." He shrugged. "I've done my duties, gone to the meetings, read the self help books." He shuddered almost invisibly at the thought of the last one. "As long as I just watch, I'll be fine."

Bones looked at him incredulously.

"I'm not going to make you sit next to me while I play crap, Booth, that would be cruel," she replied, "I'm sure we can find something else to do."

"_Craps, _Bones. Remember?"

"Right," she replied, grinning. Vegas was so not her scene.

"And seriously, I can handle it," Booth continued, "If anything, it'll be good practice for me."

"Practice for what?" Bones asked suspiciously. She didn't like the idea of bringing a compulsive gambler to a casino, but she had a feeling that regardless of whether she tried to stop him, he'd end up at one anyways.

"You know, maintaining my self control. Which is not exactly something that's easy to do around you," he quipped, winking, "If you get what I mean."

"I don't." Bones answered bluntly. Booth chuckled.

"Check, please!"

o o o

Booth had persuaded Bones to go to the casino with him, and the flashing lights and unmistakable sound of winning didn't seem so threatening.

At first, anyways.

"You're sure you're alright, Booth?" Bones asked, putting her hand on his shoulder. This didn't feel right, but Booth would have none of it. He reassured her with pats on the shoulder and charm smiles. The truth was that she really didn't mind being somewhere else; in fact, she almost preferred it, but Booth seemed to think it would take away from her whole Vegas experience.

"Bones, for the thousandth time, I'm _fine._"

Glancing around, he knew he was in a shark tank, just waiting to be devoured by an alluring pair of dice or even a couple of strawberries and a seven. But his judgment was momentarily clouded by the loud, exciting noise and the smell of cigarettes and cheap wine. A couple hours here wouldn't hurt, would they? Yeah, he'd dabble into a bit of what he'd promised himself he never would, but hey, when in Vegas...

"How about a game of Blackjack?" a dealer suggested from a few feet away. Booth shrugged.

"Whaddya think, Bones? I'm down."

"Down where?"

"I- I just meant...You want to play?"

"Sure."

Seating themselves across from the slick looking dealer, Booth's eyes glazed over at the sight of a fresh pack of cards and the mesmerizing green of the board and the dice and the chips and the--

"Booth?"

"Huh?"

"Are you okay?"

He blinked a few times.

"What? Yeah. I'm fine."

He cleared his throat and watched as Bones took out a few twenties. She tapped the bills on the side of the green felt to stack them neatly and tried handing them to the dealer. He ignored her irritably.

"Here," she pressed, trying to shove the bills into his hand.

Booth rolled his eyes at her.

"They can't accept it from your hand, Bones," he whispered, taking the money from her hand and putting it onto the table. She looked at him in confusion.

"Well, that's irrational," she replied, furrowing her eyebrows in distaste, "Anthropologically speaking, contact is imperative while partaking in activities such as gambling. The Cherokee tribe would--"

"I don't make the rules, Bones," Booth interrupted, not quite in the mood for a lesson in anthropology. There was a reason he'd majored in philosophy, anyways.

The dealer placed three stacks of chips in front of her, and she glanced over them, pleased.

Betting just a few, she smiled. They'd _own _it tonight.

o o o

"You know, there's a simple trick to this game, Booth," she whispered to him as he leaned forward to lend her his ear. It'd only been ten minutes, and she already had a hefty stack of chips in front of her. He'd gaped as she smiled coyly each time, adding the new stack to her old ones, building towers upon towers of plastic money.

"What would that be?" he whispered back.

She turned away from his ear, pointing rather obviously to the cards in the dealer's hands.

"You simply assign each card a number, and pay very close attention to the cards he deals. With a little bit of arithmetic and intelligent inferences, you can bet accordingly." She looked to the other players.

"It's not exactly a foolproof system, but it will no doubt earn you more," she advised them...loudly. "I encourage all of you to do it! Correctly!"

Booth pressed his eyes shut and brought his hand to his forehead as the dealer tsked at them with his tongue and snapped towards two big men who stood a respectful distance away. The other players shook their heads in disgust at Bones.

"What's wrong?" she replied obliviously. A few from adjacent tables turned to see the commotion.

"It's card counting, Bones," Booth explained, "And it's very illegal."

The men surrounded both Booth and Brennan, and she looked at them with contempt.

"It's a simple mathematical process," she defended, swatting at them with her hand, "It shouldn't be _illegal._"

"Well, it is," one man replied, "I have to escort you out of the casino now, miss. Unless you'd rather just leave."

Bones looked at Booth, desperate and frustrated.

"Isn't that a bit much?" she asked. The two men exchanged glances. "Really. It's simple arithmetic."

"Alright, alright," Booth said, pulling out his badge from his pocket. The bureau would probably give him some trouble if they ever found out he did that, but he didn't care. Flashing your badge to pull some strings was a given when you were an FBI agent, as far as Booth was concerned.

The man backed away slowly, nodding towards him and then towards Brennan. Her eyebrows relaxed.

"Booth," she murmured, "Won't you get in trouble for that?"

He shrugged.

"What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," he replied, grinning.

"Right?"

**If there's anything else you want them to do in Vegas while they're there, tell me now or forever hold your peace! **


	14. Mean Drunks

**Writing Vegas is so much fun, I'm trying to soak it all in! I think this chapter is pretty packed with stuff, and if you pay close attention to the first section, you should know what's happening later. Muahaha. Ha. Ha. **

"Why did they kick us out, Booth? You showed them your badge!"

Bones stomped at the cement with her stiletto. Her hands were in the pockets of her firetruck red coat, freezing in the desert cold. This place was crazy, she had to admit, and the stupid casino's rules were just idiotic.

"Bones. They're scared of FBI agents, but they're even more scared of losing money. When they came and almost _escorted us out _the first time, you were supposed to _stop _card counting," Booth mumbled, "Or at least stop announcing to the world that you were. "

"It's a--"

"Simple mathematical process, I know, I _know,_" he groaned. "...That got us kicked out."

Bones smirked.

"It's not my fault. Anyone with a sixth grade education should hypothetically have enough knowledge to do what I did in there. What did you call it? Card counting?"

"Yeah," Booth replied, shaking his head.

"Well, what do we do now?" Bones asked sadly.

Booth grinned mischievously.

"We could get married."

Bones' face went pale.

"Don't you think it's too soon? I mean, I've been enjoying this too, but getting married seems awfully rushed and--"

"Kidding, Bones."

"Oh."

They looked at each other for a few moments before bursting out in laughter. Booth was surprisingly happy, considering that Bones hadn't simply refused.

"It would've been really awesome, you know," Booth continued, "We could have had it Elvis themed. I would've gotten sideburns and blue suede shoes, and you'd have gotten a beehive and--"

He glanced over to Bones, who looked as if he'd been speaking another language.

"You do realize I have no idea what any of that means."

Booth gaped at her. "You know who Elvis was, right?"

"Of course, Booth," she replied, "The guy with the hair. My father had all his records. He used to play them loudly when my mother was pregnant with me. Apparently I knew every word to 'Suspicious Minds' before I was born." She paused for a moment, pondering the scientific probability of that. "Which is completely absurd," she finally decided, "seeing as how fetuses are incapable of processing outside sounds, let alone memorizing them."

She laughed at that, and Booth shook his head like he always did at her scientific drawls. He wondered when she would realize that he hardly ever understood a word out of her mouth when she tried to explain herself. He'd tell her one day.

"There's a bar down the street," he suggested, "How about a drink?"

Bones smiled at him as she linked her arm with his, and wrapped her other arm around his torso.

"Sounds great."

o o o

"Another round, please!" Booth shouted, flailing his inebriated arms into the air. His eyes had a shiny film on them, and a cheesy lopsided grin was plastered to his face. He brought the newly filled shot glass to his mouth and took it all down in one fiery swipe.

Bones sat next to him, leaning onto the counter top with her life depended on it. She'd already downed a few bottles of beer, too many shots than she could count, and she had the unmistakable aftertaste of olives from all the martinis she'd ordered. Vegas had numbed the rational part of her brain, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't like it.

"This is fun," Bones exclaimed, putting down her own shot glass, "We should live here."

"In Vegas?"

Bones shook her head.

"No, silly," she replied, swatting at him aimlessly, "In this bar." She pointed to Booth's bar stool. "You live there, and...and..." she looked at a booth in the restaurant portion of the building, "and I'll live over there! In the booth! Get it?"

"You're funny, Bones! You'll live in a booth. And my name is Booth! We'll be neighbors!"

"That's true! Although my home would definitely be more spacious considering--"

Booth silenced her with a sloppy kiss.

"You're pretty," he said, chuckling. For some reason, he wasn't able to stop smiling, and he could feel the discomfort in his cheeks. Thank god he'd been a gambling addict instead of an alcoholic. Both things made him an idiot, but only the latter made him _look_ like one.

Bones smirked at him.

"_You're _intoxicated," she replied, wiping her lips of her shirtsleeve.

"I'm intox...intox...intoxamated?"

"Intoxicated."

"Intoxamated."

"Drunk."

"Oh."

His giddy expression faded and he looked deep in thought for a few moments until the grin reappeared on his face.

"You're intoxamated _too_, Bones," he countered, poking her shoulder playfully, "But you're still pretty." His subconscious made a note to slap himself in the morning.

"You're pretty too," Bones answered, pressing her lips to his. She kept one eye open as she kissed him, memorizing the lines of his face, the contours of his bone structure. She'd always thought his symmetry was unusually superior, but now it almost seemed perfect...or was that the alcohol talking? When the embrace ended, Brennan lingered near Booth's face.

"You know what you said before?" she asked.

"About you being intoxamated?"

"No, _before _that, Booth."

"About you being pretty?"

"No, when you proposed?"

Booth looked confused and shocked, as if he'd been slugged in the head.

"Oh, yeah, I remember."

"Well...let's do it," Bones continued, "Let's get married."

Booth's lips curled upwards, and his eyes squinted at his partner suspiciously. Even when he was drunk, he knew how out of character this was for her.

"Really?"

Couldn't hurt to confirm.

"Of course, Booth. Why do you think I suggested it in the first place?"

He brought his hand to his face and massaged it. Bones waited for an answer, swirling the last drops of alcohol around in her shot glass in boredom.

"Okay," he agreed nonchalantly, "Let's get married."

**It just wouldn't be Vegas if we didn't have a spur of the moment wedding, now, would it? **


	15. Sweetie, it's Jackie and Elvis

**Hello, people~ Thanks for reading, once again! This time, I have an announcement. I think I need a beta. I've never actually had anyone beta for me, or vice versa, but I think it would make my story make a little bit more sense. If you're interested (which would be awesome, thank you so much), just PM me, I guess, and we'll see how to go about it.**

By the way, to get the details for this story, I just searched "Vegas costume chapel" online, but I advise you to as well, because it's very, very, VERY, entertaining. :)

The smell of cheap vinyl and cigarettes overwhelmed Booth and Brennan as they entered the chapel. Wall mounted vases framed the distance of the entryway, and the colorful shadow of the neon sign blinking from the top of the building danced on the moonlit stucco walls. They pointed to the various couples walking around, amused at their frantic demeanor.

But then again, everything was more amusing when you were drunk.

Booth left Brennan's side as he staggered towards the costume rack, light jumpsuits and oceans of sequins peeking through hangers with skin tight dresses and itchy sideburns draped across them. He found a glittering cape and pulled it out for Bones to see.

"Bones, look," he called.

She turned around and chuckled.

"That's what you're going to wear on our wedding day?" she slurred.

"Totally," he replied. He pulled out a sparkling baby blue dress and a dirty beehive wig. "You can wear this!"

Bones shook her head.

"No way," she said, walking over towards a different rack. She brought a Jackie O. bouffant to her head.

"I've always wanted to dress up as Jacqueline Onassis," she admitted, "Her elegance has always been something I admired." Booth nodded as if he understood, and went back to examining his cape.

"Elvis and Jackie," he mumbled, "Sounds good to me!"

o o o

"We're next, Bones!" Booth said excitedly from the waiting room. Wannabes Mickey Rooney and Zsa Zsa Gabor were just finishing up their ceremony. Booth had changed his mind several times as to which costume he wanted to wear, but ended up settling with a white bejeweled cape. Brennan had chosen a cream ruffled wedding dress similar to the one Jacqueline Kennedy had worn on her wedding day.

"The Booth wedding?" a voice called from the door. Booth stood up and Bones tucked her cellphone into her dress.

"Right here!" Booth called back, staggering into the cheap wedding hall. The _hall _was more like a small classroom, with a plastic altar decorated with plastic roses, and a minister who looked like he was fresh out of high school.

"We're here!" Booth exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. He had a mild headache that was nipping at the back of his head.

"Are you two drunk?" the minister asked. It certainly wouldn't be the first time if they said yes.

"Yes," they both replied guiltily. The scrawny boy in front of them shook his head disapprovingly and went on with the marriage vows.

"Do you, Seeley Booth, take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife?"

Booth gaped at the boy.

"What happened to the rest of the vows? All the...'till death do us part stuff?"

The boy leaned forward.

"It's Vegas, dude," he replied, "We have hundreds of people in here every day like yourselves. You think we have time for all that stuff?" Booth shook his head seriously as if he'd been told off by the most important figure in the world.

"I do," he croaked.

"And do you, Miss Temperance Brennan-"

"Doctor."

The boy scoffed.

"Do you, _Doctor _Temperance Brennan-hey, wait, are you that scientist lady?"

"By scientist lady, do you mean world renown forensic anthropologist? And best selling author, for that matter?"

"Yeah, you're her," the boy continued. "Do you take this man to be your lawful wedded husband?"

"I-"

Brennan was cut off by an awkward vibration coming from the chest of her dress. Both Booth's and the boy's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Sorry," she mumbled, plucking it out from the polyester, "Hello?"

"Sweetie?"

"Oh, Ange."

From across the country, Angela could hear an undeniably retro wedding hymn play in the background.

"Are you at a wedding?"

Bones smiled.

"Yes, actually. Mine. Was there a reason you called? It's five A.M."

"I know, Bren. Cam called us all back in. The feds are going crazy with this case, they need it solved as soon as- did you just say you were at _your _wedding?"

"I did."

"Are you undercover?"

"You could say that. Although clarifying that I'm only dressed up as Jacqueline Onassis would be a more accurate response."

"Boooonesss," Booth whined, "Hurry up!"

"Ange, I have to go. Elv- I mean, Booth, he's waiting for me to say 'I do.'" She slurred the last part, and Angela gasped, the sound croaking through the phone so loudly that Bones had to remove it from her ear.

"Are you drunk, sweetie?" she asked slowly. Bones could hear Angela hit her forehead with her palm.

"I definitely think I'm mildly inebriated," she replied, chuckling.

"Brennan," Angela continued, in a stern voice, this time, "You can't get married. You're drunk, you're not thinking straight."

"But I want to marry Booth," Bones replied, pouting.

"Ange, she wants to marry Booth," Booth shouted into the phone.

"Trust me, sweetie, I'm the last person to stop a marriage," Angela replied, "I mean, one word: Fiji. But when you walk into work on Monday, and you two are sober, things are not going to be fun. Plus I'm going to give you hell since you didn't make me your maid of honor."

Bones let the words sink into her head. Work. Sober. Not going to be fun.

"And tell Booth he's being an idiot too," she continued.

Bones held the phone away from her mouth for a second.

"Angela says you're an idiot," she announced. The minister watched the two interact with amusement.

"Well tell her she's a-"

"You're right, Ange," Bones sighed, "You're not even here with me." She yawned. "I'll see you Monday."

"And you'll be a bachelorette?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Bye, sweetie."

"Bye, Ange."

Bones put down the phone, and tucked it back into her dress.

"I don't," she told the minister, and walked away.

"Excuse us," Booth apologized, running after her in a sequined cape and blue suede shoes.

**A/N: Hi~ thanks for reading! This was a little bump in the road because I didn't know how to not get them married, but this seemed to be pretty good. (: But like always, leave a review! They mean a lot, and really get the next chapter going. I'm so excited to break one hundred! **


	16. Coffee and Misdemeanors

**A/N: I'm really happy with this chapter. It literally took ten minutes to write because it felt so...fitting. Hope you like it! Leave reviews, please!**

"Bones, what are you doing?"

Booth followed Brennan out of the chapel and onto the concrete steps on which neon shadows danced.

"I don't want to get married," she replied, taking a set on the topmost step, and burying her head in her hands. In her wedding gown, she looked beautiful. Even if it looked like it was purchased at a dollar store.

"Why, Bones?" Booth asked. His cape glistened in the moonlight, and his leather pants squeaked as he took a seat next to her.

"Because we're not doing it right," she answered, frustrated, "Angela's supposed to be my maid of honor, and you're supposed to have a best man. And my ex-con father should be walking me down the aisle. And _people _should be here."

Booth nodded thoughtfully.

"Too soon, you think?" he asked. The alcohol was unfortunately wearing off, and as his headache continued to kick in, so did his common sense.

"Yes," Bones replied. "Not to mention you probably should tell Parker about his stepmother before you bring her home one day." She ribbed Booth with her elbow.

"You're probably right," he said, laughing, "Although I'm positive he'd like you."

Bones looked to the floor.

"I have absolutely no skill with young people," she told him, shaking her head, "If you'll recall, I let Andy swallow a key. And although Parker, I'm sure, is intelligent enough to know not to, I would still worry about things like that."

Booth put an arm around her shoulders.

"You'd catch on," he whispered, "You'd be great."

Bones smiled, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks, Booth."

"No problem, Bones."

They sat in silence for a few moments, each contemplating what to do next.

"I guess we should go back to our hotel now," Bones finally admitted, "We have to check out tomorrow...or today."

Booth mumbled something in agreement.

"Do we really have to give back our costumes? I'm really starting to like this cape." He winked and curled his lip to mimic Elvis.

"We could just make a run for it," Bones replied, grinning.

"Let's do it."

And with that, they fled from the stairs, never once looking back at the scrawny old minister who called their names from the chapel door. Their different names, who on this night, had not yet become one.

o o o

"Oh god, I feel like I rammed my head into the wall," Booth exclaimed, stretching his arms out above Bones' head. She turned in her half-half state of conciousness, and mumbled something.

"You too?" he clarified. She nodded.

Booth glanced at the body next to him, and his arm draped over her torso, and let himself wonder for a second how it had all come to be. One second they had been partners, and now they were in the same bed, sharing hangover woes. He brought his pointer finger to the cross on the gold chain he always wore around his neck, and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Can you call room service?" Bones asked, propping herself up against the backboard. Sleeping a hangover off had never worked for her. Mugs and mugs of coffee, did, however.

"Breakfast already?" Booth asked as he reached for the phone. Personally, scrambled eggs and bacon were just not something he could do the second he woke up.

"Coffee," she croaked.

He nodded, laughing as he rubbed his eyes, and dialed a number on the phone.

o o o

By the time Bones' plate of toast and cup of gourmet coffee had arrived, she'd already managed to shower and get some packing done. She'd navigated through the room filled with Booth's clothes--namely his stolen cape and various patterned socks, and stuffed her belongings back into her suitcase. Getting the work out of the way early meant she could relax for the rest of the day until it was time for their trip back.

"Coffee for a Miss Brennan?" the man had said, picking up the tray off the wheeled table, and placing it on the counter.

"Thanks," Bones called, walking over with a tip. The man nodded and left the room quickly.

Bones brought the cup to her nose and inhaled deeply before diving into the cup of rich coffee. She wouldn't really be exaggerating if she said the coffee was the best part about this hotel.

"Is it good?" Booth asked from the bed. He'd chosen to sleep it off. So far, it wasn't working.

"Perfect," Bones replied.

Booth patted the spot on the bed next to him, and Bones walked towards him and crawled in. She wrapped the thin white sheets around herself and rested her head on his chest.

"Are you ready to go back?" she asked.

He put his arm around her, her hand resting on the curve of her waist.

"Yeah," he said finally, taking a breath, "I'm ready."

Bones nodded, and Booth's shirt wrinkled under her movement.

"What about you?" he asked.

"I'm ready," she repeated. "I can only handle Vegas for so long."

This trip had definitely been the most eventful trip to sin city in a while, and between the stolen costumes, almost-wedding, and card counting, Bones felt that she'd seen enough. Booth chuckled.

"I know what you mean. Every time we come down here, we always get trapped in something weird. Remember when we were last here...Roxy?"

Bones grinned.

"Of course I remember, Tony," she replied in a thick, city-girl accent, "It's not like watching you get pummeled in the ring is something I can forget so easy."

Booth smirked.

"I wasn't being _pummeled,_ Bones," he replied, "I was playing my part."

"Then you're a fantastic actor," she bantered back.

Booth tightened his grip around Bones playfully, and kissed her forehead.

"Whaddya say we take a flight back?" he asked, "And we get a suit to drive back the car?"

Bones sighed. "I think that sounds good." There was no way in hell she was going to do any of the driving anyways, and she could see Booth didn't want to either.

"The airport's kind of far," he continued, "Should we get going?"

"M'kay," Bones agreed, "In ten minutes."

Booth smiled, and happily let the woman beside him nap in the warmth of his t-shirt clad chest. 


	17. Hacking the Plan

**Wow, I can't believe I've actually written seventeen chapters. Fluff is such a fantastic thing to write when Hart & Co. hardly gives you any! **

**Edit: This chapter has been slightly rewritten. I went ahead and tried to write an eighteenth chapter, but something about this one made it a little difficult. I think it had a few too many plot holes for my liking. I apologize for any confusion! (:  
**

"_This is what first class is like?_!" Booth exclaimed incredulously, glancing around the plane. He had to speak loudly, seeing as how his seat was miles away from Bones'. She had one earpiece of her headphones on, in an effort to drown out her surroundings, and catch an afternoon nap. The look on Booth's face told her that it might be harder than she'd expected.

Booth marveled at the space around him. It was like he'd never left the hotel- if someone had told him that some engineers had come and slapped on engines and wings to the master suite he and Bones had shared just hours ago, he would've probably believed them. Watching the years rewind in his mind, he couldn't remember a time when he'd ever flown in first class.

Set in his ultra-traditional ways, having the woman in a relationship pay for things like that should not only completely shatter his ego, but also shake his beliefs. The shrimp cocktails an arm length away, and bottles of champagne lining the middle console's fridge, however, did neither.

"Are you going to act the same way you did when you saw the hotel room?" Bones asked,  
"Because then I'm demoting you to coach." She smirked, and covered her ear with the headphone's left piece.

"It _wasn't _a hotel room, Bones, I'm telling 'ya," he replied, "It was like a palace. And _all the furniture?_I still think we should've sold it all on Ebay. I could've-"

He looked back to see if Bones was listening, but her ears appeared sufficiently covered to block out his voice. She looked exhausted, and as if she'd already fallen asleep.

"Bones?"

She stayed still.

"Boooones?"

She didn't move.

"Booooones, are you really-"

"Shut up, Booth."

"Okay."

o o o

"We will now begin our final descent to Washington D.C. Thank you for flying with our airline!"

Booth yawned at the final overhead speaker announcement. He hadn't realized he'd even fallen asleep until he felt that familiar dryness in his mouth and blinked his heavy-lidded eyes. He stretched his limbs, earning satisfying cracks from his stiff joints.

"You drool when you sleep," Bones noted from her seat. Her tone was bemused, and dabbled in playful condescension. Booth jumped slightly at her voice.

"Well, thanks for that observation, Bones," he replied, squinting.

"Anthropologically speaking, drooling is a primal reflex when your olfactics are stimulated. It's nothing to be ashamed of." She paused, knowingly. "However, you were sleeping, meaning they were stimulated in your subconscious...what were you dreaming about?"

She propped her elbow onto her armrest, and let her chin rest in the flesh of her palm.

"I-I wasn't," Booth replied, rather unconvincingly. And Bones, despite drowning herself in oceans of naivety and obliviousness, knew he was lying.

She rolled her head back into the thick seat, and pressed her eyes shut as an unnerving, but familiar pressure filled her ears.

"Well...you snore," Booth called out.

"I do not!

"Do too. It's really loud too, Bones. Like a guy."

"I do _not _snore like a guy."

"See? You admit it."

"I didn't admit anything!"

"You admitted you snored."

"Just go back to bed, Booth. I liked you better when you were drooling."

o o o

"Sweetie!"

Angela jogged up to her best friend from beside her car, ignoring the big pieces of hand luggage that poked her sides. She threw her arms around her shoulders, and Bones tried her best to return the embrace.

"Nice to see you too, Ange," she joked, smiling.

"Come 'ere," she said to Booth as she released Brennan and hugged the sturdy FBI agent. Booth chuckled, wrapping one arm around the artist's waist as he held his suitcase with the other.

"I'm so glad you guys are back. This case is getting on everyone's last nerve. _Your _people waltzed in and made everything twenty times more stressful," she continued, shooting Booth a dirty glance. She beeped her car open and gestured for the two to put their luggage in her trunk.

"What do you mean?" Booth asked.

"It was JFK all over again, sweetie," she replied, rolling her eyes, "Except this time, it's just some joe schmo."

"Who's Joe Schmo?" Bones asked.

"Joke, Bren," Angela replied, chuckling, "The guy's name's like...Howard Clapton, or something like that." She waved her hand off insignificantly.

Booth stopped for a second.

"_Howard Clapton?_" he repeated, eyes wide. "For sure?"

Angela put a hand on her hip, her gaze alternating between Booth and Brennan.

"Pretty sure...why?"

Booth took a step back, as if he'd just been defeated at something.

"Because," he began, "That's Agent Clapton's father."

Angela closed her eyes for a moment, tilting her head to a side.

"That would explain why Hacker was hovering like a damn helicopter."

Booth looked alert.

"H-Hacker was there?" he asked, exchanging a look with Brennan. A bad look. An uh-oh-we're-in-trouble look.

"Ye-ah," Angela replied, squinting, "Is that bad?"

Booth turned to Brennan, frowning. "Do you think he noticed?"

"Noticed what?" Angela asked.

Bones simultaneously nodded. "He's the head of the FBI- he _had _to have noticed."

"Noticed _what_?" Angela asked again.

"There's a possibility that-"

Angela brought two fingers to her mouth, and whistled as loudly as she could.

"Excuse me? Person that's _not _on the same page as you two over here?"

Both Booth and Brennan sighed before looking at Angela seriously.

"I took time off," Booth began, "And so did she." He pointed to Bones.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Vegas. Wedding. Repeat. What does that have to do with Hacker?"

"He already thinks Booth and I have been engaging in rather intimate activities," Bones answered. "If we're both gone from work..." She trailed off.

"He'll shoot us. Well, me, since he's always had a thing for Bones," Booth offered, grimacing.

"You really think he noticed?" Angela asked, biting her lip. Surely the FBI had bigger fish to fry than a potential on-duty romance. "You guys are always off on cases together anyways. Couldn't you just say you had some undercover things to take care of?"

Booth groaned softly. "If I had some stuff to do incognito, Hacker would've been the first to know. Damn! I never even thought he would show up. Mike was fine with me leaving for a couple days, and he hates Hacker. Never would have told him I'd left if he could avoid speaking with the guy. And I haven't taken this much time off work in years, Ange. Maybe a few hours here and there for Parker, but I just don't _do _days off. And Bones-" He looked over to her. "Have _you_ ever been gone from work this much time?"

Bones looked insulted.

"Of course! There was that one time where I went to the Jeffersonian benefit. That was most certainly not mandatory. Or when the American Association of Physical Anthropologists sponsored by trip to Bora Bora to look at a set of remains. Or-"

Booth cleared his throat, cutting her off. "Let me reword that. Have you ever been gone from work _and not even remotely associated with work _for this much time?"

"No," she muttered. Booth nodded, amused.

"I mean, Hacker's a slacker," he joked, trying to quell the tension, "And most definitely not a squint. Maybe he didn't even pick up on it." He nodded thoughtfully.

"While I don't completely understand Booth's wording, Hacker _does _consistently fail to check up on his employees as far as I've been told." Bones conceded, "And he hardly ever shows up at the lab."

"Well, don't freak out yet," Angela suggested, "Hacker at least must have his priorities straight, as director of the FBI. And I'm pretty sure Howard Clapton takes _top_ priority right now." Booth and Brennan nodded emptily, taking comfort in the unsteady hope that had been offered to them.

Angela turned and opened the driver's seat door, sliding in. Bones sat in the front, while Booth took the back. He settled in his seat when the ignition roared to life, but couldn't help wondering what would await him when it turned off once again.

**Just to clarify, in case someone asks (I don't know if this story in confusing at all), Booth and Brennan still plan to reveal to everyone that they're a couple, but only to the people they care about- namely Hodgins, Cam, and Zack, etc. If Hacker finds out, he'll hack **_**them.**_

**Also, I'm ignoring the whole Gormogon thing, because I love Zack and I want to keep him around. So this still takes place after Cullen is murdered (which is why we have Hacker), it's just that Zack is still there. PM me if you're confused. (:**


	18. Mission Impossible

**Hi everyone! First of all, I'm so sorry for neglecting this story! I left it for a little while and I started to feel too disconnected to it to get back into it again. But I'm in need of some B&B fluff, so I thought that I might as well take a whack at it. (: Also, I rewrote a little bit of chapter 17 because it just seemed a little off to me. Hope you enjoy, and as always, I'd love to hear what you thought! **

"Why can't I go in first?" Booth whined. He stood a distance away from the Jeffersonian, squinting to see if there were any familiar faces behind the large glass doors of the institute. Angela had entertained herself the entire way home by scheming a way to get the three of them in without a single eyebrow being raised.

"When was the last time you walked into the lab without the purpose of speaking to Bren over here?" She cocked an eyebrow, grinning pointedly. "You most certainly have not stopped by to say hi to me recently, I must say. And besides, what are you going to say when Cam asks you where you've been?"

Booth narrowed his gaze at her teasing. Angela made more sense that he wanted her to. He'd told Mike at the bureau that he needed a few days off to deal with Parker and Rebecca, and after such a tidy end to the last case Booth had worked on, Mike was hardly hesitant to give the guy a break. His brief absence most likely wouldn't even raise concerns, especially one with such innocent intentions. The part Booth worried about had more to do with the people inside the Jeffersonian. Mike was a busy guy who probably didn't possess the forethought to let Cam know that her favorite FBI agent wouldn't be coming around for a few days. And Booth's head had been far too high up in the clouds to cover all his bases. If Hacker was in there with his squints, one question from Cam that he couldn't quite answer, and he might as well jump into Bones' storage tank of formaldehyde.

"So _anyways,_" Angela continued, "Here's the deal. Bren, you and I are going to walk in first. Why did you tell Cam you needed a couple days off, again?"

"I told her that I had a speaking engagement in California," she replied stolidly.

Angela chuckled.

"Damn, girl. Most people would've just called in sick." She shook her head and fumbled with her hands as she continued to explain the plan.

"The story is that I just picked you up from the airport."

"You _did _just pick me up from the airport."

Bones looked at her with slight confusion.

"Sweetie. I need you to stay with me for this one, kay? You gotta ditch the logic for a second if you want to make sure Hacker doesn't think anything is up. Put away Tom Cruise and bring out Ethan Hunt, alright?"

Bones crinkled her nose, nodding reluctantly. Perhaps it was just her, but Angela sure seemed to be having fun with the thought of sneaking around. And who the hell was this Tom Cruise guy?

"There shouldn't really be a problem with us," Angela said, nodding triumphantly. "Cam was in the loop with you and your...speaking engagement, so even if she has suspicions, she'll have enough sense to wring your neck for it privately. _Probably_." She pursed her lips for a second, shrugging her shoulders.

"Now Booth. What are we going to do with you?" She squinted to herself, and Booth felt like a Thanksgiving turkey beneath her scrutinizing eyes. Bones had to cover her mouth to prevent herself from laughing. From where she was sitting, Angela looked like an angry hawk about to pounce on a field mouse.

"Timing is everything," Angela whispered to herself, "So why don't you just head home for the night and start back up at he bureau tomorrow? Sounds pretty damn normal to me." She beamed at her seemingly ingenious plan, while Booth glared at her from the backseat.

"I'm not going to go back home, Ange," he muttered. "Why don't you and Bones go in and get Hacker out of the way for me? Maybe once he's gone we can finally clue the squints in."

Booth and Bones watched as Angela's face fell, her teeth poking out of her mouth to bite her lip.

"_Fine_," she conceded, rolling her eyes playfully, "But my plan totally would have worked, I'm telling you."

Now it was Booth's turn to chuckle.

"Alright Lucy Liu, get in there and work your magic."

Angela winked.

She turned to walk away and Bones gave Booth a quick kiss on the cheek.

"We're going to kick Hacker's butt," she whispered childishly, amused at her own joke. Booth shook his head, returning her kiss with one on the lips. He could feel her smile against his mouth, and it took everything he had in him not to pull away and laugh. Bones drew back, grinning. "Her name is _Angela,_ Booth, I almost forgot. Not Lucy Liu. Maybe you're still a little hungover." She shot him a final quizzical look, and met up with Angela, who had already pulled her suitcase out from the trunk.

o o o

"Dr. Brennan! Thank god."

Cam seemed to narrow in on the sight of Bones and Angela the second they'd walked through the doors. Her high heels clacked noisily against the floor as she approached them, her hands swinging haphazardly by her sides.

"I know you just got back, but your expertise right now would be much appreciated. And hopefully it'll get Hacker to stop breathing down our necks." She gestured emptily to the suited man that stood hovering above the victim, his right pointer finger and thumb pressing his nose shut as his eyebrows furrowed in the most disgusted way.

"I'd be happy to," she replied, looking at Angela triumphantly who had already slunk off with a triumphant wink. Placing her suitcase at the perimeter of the platform, she swiped her card, heading over to the table where the victim sat.

"Temperance," Hacker wheezed, his voice weak and nasally, "How have you been?"

"Well," she replied quickly, snapping on a pair of gloves as she dug her hands into the body that lay in front of her. Spotting an indentation on a chest bone, she expertly pushed aside an irritating piece of flesh until it gave away with a wet squelch. Her eyes flicked discreetly up towards Hacker, who now had covered his mouth with a repulsed hand.

"You're more than welcome to stay, Andrew, but the sight of a body at such a stage of decomposition is hardly a lovely sight to someone not as experienced with them as myself. I can assure you that my job will be done just as precisely without your supervision." She tried her best to smile politely, and stuck her hands back inside the victim. Deliberately, she pulled apart another piece of rapidly deteriorating flesh, moving her hands to enlighten him with a whiff of the decomposing victim. She could see his pupils dilate, and tried to stifle a grin.

"Well," he began, clearing his throat, "Perhaps you're right. You are the best, after all," he threw in. She nodded her head in acknowledgement at his compliment.

"I know," she replied. "But thank you."

He swallowed awkwardly, fixing his tie with the hand that he'd removed from his mouth.

"Well," he said again, "I guess I'll just go now."

Bones nodded quickly, pulling out the bone in question that she had been examining for the purpose of exacerbating Hacker's exit. One glimpse at the still bloody and flesh-covered bone that she held nonchalantly in her hand, and he had fled, with nothing but a wave to remember him by. Bones shook her head proudly, sliding the gloves off with ease into the trashcan. After a quick rinse in the sink, she rummaged through the shallow pocket in her suitcase, and pulled out her cellphone. She dialed a number with immense speed, and brought the phone to her ear.

"Booth? All clear."


End file.
